Mansa court adjourns hearing on BBC documentary on Sidhu Moosewala to June 16

A local court in Mansa on Thursday adjourned the hearing in the case related to the BBC World Service documentary on slain Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala, to June 16.

The Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) directed the respondents to file their written statement and reply to the stay application before the next hearing.

The BBC released two parts of the documentary titled “The Killing Call” on YouTube at 5 am on Wednesday, coinciding with Moosewala’s 32nd birth anniversary. The documentary was initially scheduled to be screened in Mumbai later that evening.

Speaking to The Tribune, advocate Satinder Pal Singh Mittal, counsel for Moosewala’s father Balkaur Singh, said, “The counsel for the defendants (BBC World Service and the two producers) requested time from the court to respond. The court has now directed them to submit a written reply by June 16 and adjourned the matter to that date.”

Balkaur Singh has already served a legal notice to the broadcaster and lodged complaints with the Maharashtra police, alleging that the documentary contains unauthorised and sensitive content, including personal testimonies and commentary on an ongoing criminal case. Meanwhile, the BBC’s legal team has sought 10 days to respond to the legal notice.

Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead on May 29, 2022, in Jawaharke village near Mansa. Meanwhile, his family released three songs on his official YouTube channel on Wednesday, all of which have gone viral online.