Sidhu Moosewala gets regular bail in Arms Act case

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, July 15

A local court has granted regular bail to Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu Moosewala in an Arms Act case.

On Wednesday, police claimed that Moosewala had joined investigations on July 7, even as on July 9 they said the singer had not joined probe.

While granting him interim bail on June 30, a local court had directed Moosewala to join police investigations within seven days in a case registered at Dhuri Sadar police station on May5.

“Since police said that Moosewala had joined police investigations, court has granted him regular bail,” said Mahesh Goyal Additional Public Prosecutor (APP).

On May 4, after a video showing the singer shooting at a firing range in Badbar of Barnala district went viral on social media, the Dhanauala police, on the directions of Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta, had registered a case under Sections 188 of the IPC and Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act against Moosewala and eight others.

They included Assistant Sub inspector (ASI) Balkar Singh, Head Constables Gagandeep Singh and Gurjinder Singh, Constables Jasvir Singh, Harwinder Singh and three others, Karam Singh Lehal, Inder Singh Grewal and Jang Sher Singh.

But within 24 hours, another FIR was also registered against all under the same sections at Dhuri Sadar police station on May 5 after another video showing Moosewala firing from his private pistol at Laddai Kothi shooting range surfaced.

On May 17, police had added Sections 25 and 30 of the Arms Act to both FIRs registered against Moosewala and others. All cops were suspended after the registration of FIR and since the addition of Arms Act.

Gurmeet Singh, SP, Punjab Bureau of Investigation, Sangrur, who had on July 9 said Moosewala had not joined investigations, and is heading Special Investigations Team, today said the singer had joined investigations on July 7.

“On July 7, we could not question him as after signing formal papers, he had started coughing showing suspected symptoms of Covid-19. We immediately asked him to get medical aid. Since he is wanted in Barnala FIR, we had informed Barnala police also about his presence in Sangrur police lines. I also underwent Covid-19 test and reported negative. He sent his formal statement three days back,” said the SP.

On May 30, Sangrur court had granted interim bail to Karam Sukhbir Singh. On May 27, court had granted interim bail to constables Harwinder Singh and Jasveer Singh, head constable Gurjinder Singh and Gagandeep Singh and ASI Balkar Singh and shooting player Jungsher Singh and Inderveer Singh Grewal.