Who was Sidhu Moose Wala? The 28-year-old rapper shot dead in Punjab

Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, better known as Sidhu Moose Wala, was just 28-year-old and had millions of fans of his Punjabi rap music all over the world

Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, or famously known as Sidhu Moose Wala, was shot dead on Sunday in Punjab's Mansa district. He was 28.

According to Punjab police, he and his two friends were travelling in a jeep when they were shot several times in Jawaharke village. A Canada-based gangster, Goldy Brar, a close associate of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, claimed responsibility for the gruesome murder, Punjab DGP VK Bhawra confirmed.

Expressing shock, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said nobody involved will be spared and appealed to everyone to stay calm.

Hundreds of people have had their police security withdrawn after the AAP came to power in Punjab in March 2022. The first order to withdraw security came on March 12, and the latest on May 28. The Punjabi rapper was killed a day after his security was withdrawn.

Who was Sidhu Moose Wala?

The rapper, with a huge fan base running into millions, had his breakthrough with the song "So High" in 2017. In 2020, this Punjabi rapper was named by The Guardian among fifty up and coming artistes, with ten of his songs topping on UK Asian charts. His song "Bambiha Bole" was among the top five on Global YouTube music chart. In 2021, he released Moosetape, tracks from which charted globally including Canadian Hot 100, UK Asian, and New Zealand Hot charts.

Influenced by rapper Tupac Shakur, he was known for his controversial lyrical style, often promoting gun culture and challenging religious sentiments. As of 2022, there were four ongoing criminal cases against him.

In May 2020, Moose Wala was booked under two sections of the Arms Act after two videos went viral on social media, showing him training to use an AK-47 rifle and another with a pistol.

In June of the same year, he was fined by the police as his car's windows were tinted black and was allowed to leave despite being under the lookout. He joined the investigation later and was granted regular bail. In the same month, Moose Wala released a song titled "Sanju", comparing himself to actor Sanjay Dutt, who was also arrested under the Arms Act. Later, a case was registered against him for releasing the song.

In 2021, the singer joined the Indian National Congress, and unsuccessfully contested the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election from Mansa. AAP candidate defeated him by a margin of 63,323 votes.

In April 2022, he released a song titled "Scapegoat", which talks about his failure in the elections. Meanwhile, the AAP claimed that the rapper through his song insinuated that the voters of Punjab were traitors for electing AAP.

Who's behind his death

According to reports, his death is connected to the death of Vikramjit Singh Middukhera, a Youth Akali Dal leader, who was shot dead in 2021. There were allegations that Moose Wala had directed his manager Shagunpreet Singh to execute the killing. In April 2022, Singh fled abroad after his name cropped up during investigation.

On Monday, Goldy Brar, a gangster, took to his social media account to claim responsibility, writing that "he and Lawrence Bishnoi group were behind the murder".

"Today, Moose Wala was killed in Punjab, I, Sachin Bishnoi, Lawrence Bishnoi take the responsibility. It's our work. Moose Wala's name surfaced in our brother Vikramjit Singh Middukhera and Gurlal Brar's murder, but the Punjab Police did not take any action against him. We also came to know that Moose Wala was also involved in the encounter of our associate Ankit Bhadu. Moose Wala was working against us. Delhi Police had taken his name, but Moose Wala used his political power and saved his skin each time (sic)," Goldy wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile on the political front, the killing has sparked a huge political controversy and the Punjab government is at the receiving end.

The Delhi Congress on Monday staged a protest near Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence accusing AAP of being responsible for Moose Wala's killing.