Moosewala documentary controversy: Court seeks Balkaur Singh’s reply on BBC’s jurisdiction objection by July 1

A local court in Mansa has now directed Balkaur Singh, father of slain Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh, aka Sidhu Moosewala, to file his response by July 1, after he failed to submit the reply today.

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The directive comes in the wake of an application filed by the BBC World Service and its two employees challenging the maintainability of the suit concerning a documentary on the late singer.

In their plea, the respondents had argued on June 16 that the case is not maintainable before the Mansa court, asserting that neither the cause of action nor jurisdiction lies within the district. The court then sought a response from Balkaur Singh by June 23.

Earlier, acting on a petition filed by Balkaur Singh seeking a stay on the documentary - alleging it was produced without the family’s consent and could hurt their sentiments - the court had initially sought a formal reply from the BBC by June 16.

Notably, two episodes of the documentary, reportedly tracing events from Moosewala’s life and untimely death, titled 'The Killing Call', were released on June 11, coinciding with his birth anniversary.

Moosewala, a popular singer, was shot dead on May 29, 2022, in Jawaharke village of Mansa district, a case that drew both national and international attention.