Sidhu Moose Wala Murder: First Of Eight Shooters Arrested, Say Police

The first of the eight gunmen believed to have shot and killed Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala has been arrested, the police said on Friday.

Harkamal Ranu, a resident of Bathinda, was handed over to the police, his family members claimed.

This is the tenth arrest in the case. The last two arrests were that of a gangster identified as Siddhesh Hiraman Kamble alias Mahakal and a man who pretended to be a fan and took a selfie with Moose Wala before his killing.

The suspects have been arrested for providing logistical support, conducting recce, and harbouring the singer's killers.

Among the other shooters identified are Sandeep Singh, alias Kekda, of Sirsa, Haryana; Manpreet Singh, alias Manna, of Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda; and Manpreet Bhau of Dhaipai, Faridkot.

Twenty-eight-year-old singer-politician Moose Wala was shot dead by some unidentified assailants in Punjab's Mansa district on May 29, a day after the Punjab government curtailed his security cover.

His death shocked fans at home and in Punjabi communities from Canada to Britain.

Moose Wala -- whose real name is Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu -- rose to fame with catchy songs that attacked rival rappers and politicians, portraying him as a man who fought for his community's pride, delivered justice and gunned down enemies.

Moose Wala was a big star not just in India but also abroad, especially in Canada and Britain -- home to large Punjabi-origin communities.

However, he was often criticised for promoting gun culture through his music videos, in which he regularly posed with firearms.

Moose Wala's murder has also put the spotlight on the dark underbelly of Punjab, a major transit route for drugs entering India from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Many link the narcotics trade -- mostly heroin and opium -- to an uptick in gang-related violence and the use of illegal arms in the state.

According to media reports, some of the dozens of gangs active in Punjab have been demanding protection money from rappers and even buying into music companies.