Booked in arms act case, Nabha police let off Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala with a fine for traffic violation

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, June 6

Just days after claiming to have raided places to track him down, the Nabha police on Saturday challaned Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala in a traffic violation case and curiously let him go.

On May 4, after a video showing the singer shooting at a firing range in Badbar went viral on the social media, the police had registered a case against Moosewala and five policemen under Section 188 of the IPC and the Disaster Management Act. Later, stringent sections of the Arms Act were added to the FIR.

Ever since police claimed to have raided places to arrest the singer.

However, on Saturday, the singer’s vehicle was stopped and he was challaned by the cops for using black tinted glasses on his car and then let off.  Nabha DSP Rajesh Chhibber said, "Nabha SHO Sarabjit Cheema stopped his vehicle for using black glasses. Later, as the singer verbally claimed that he had procured bail in the cases against him, the SHO let him go.”

As soon as he was intercepted, people gathered around the controversial singer's jet-black Scorpio.

The police have come under criticism for letting off the singer, allegedly under influence.

“The decision of any action against the cops who handled the case will be taken after discussion with the top brass as Moosewala took the plea that he had been asked to join investigation in the shooting case,” said sources.

Since Patiala SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu is on leave, SP City Varun Sharma said he was looking into the matter. Senior officials said since the Nabha police did not have an arrest warrant, Moosewala was allowed to go.

Sources, however, said many police officials reportedly took pictures with the controversial singer when he was at the DSP office. The singer even sang a few lines for the police officials, sources claimed.

Meanwhile, a look at websites of Sangrur and Barnala district courts shows that Punjabi Singer Sidhu Moosewala has not yet applied for anticipatory bail in either court with regard to two FIRs he faces for defying last month’s curfew orders in Punjab and illegally using service weapons of some policemen.

The FIRs he faces pertains to two separate incidents last month---one in which he was seen using service weapons of some policemen at a practice firing range in Badbar in Barnala district and another in which he used his own weapon at another range in Laddai Kothi in Sangrur.

The incidents led to two FIRs against him---the first one on May 4 in which some policemen wre booked as well, and the second one on May 5.

The incidents came at a time when Punjab was under curfew called in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Moosewala faces charges of defying an order by a public servant (Section 188 of Indian Penal Code) as well as sections of the Arms Act.

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