Sidhu Moosewala docu row: Foreign broadcaster seeks 10 days to respond to notice

A foreign public broadcaster, which is reportedly screening a documentary on Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala, on his birth anniversary on June 11 in Mumbai, through its legal team has sought 10 days from the singer’s father, Balkaur Singh, to respond to the legal notice served to them.

In response, Balkaur Singh’s legal team has asked the broadcaster to postpone or suspend the premiere of the documentary, warning they will otherwise seek legal remedy.

Meanwhile, Balkaur Singh has sent a reminder to the Maharashtra Police to restrain and halt the scheduled screening of the documentary.

Speaking over the phone from the UK, advocate Gurvinder Singh Sandhu, counsel for Balkaur Singh, said, “The event is slated for June 11. Regarding the legal notice sent by us, we have received a response from the broadcaster’s legal team, seeking 10 days to reply. In reaction to this, we have asked them to postpone or suspend the premiere of the documentary. We are also filing an injunction petition in this regard.”

He added, “We have also sent a reminder to the Maharashtra Police. The issue is very serious, as the trial in Moosewala’s murder case is at a crucial stage.”

Sources said Balkaur Singh today visited the courts complex in Mansa, completed the formalities to file the injunction petition on Tuesday.

In two separate formal complaints addressed to the Director General of Police (DGP), Maharashtra, and the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Juhu police station, Balkaur Singh has alleged that the screening of the documentary, titled “Investigative Documentary on Sidhu Moosewala”, is reportedly being conducted by a foreign public broadcaster and produced by two local producers.

In these complaints, Balkaur Singh has stated that the documentary contains unauthorised, sensitive and unpublished material, including personal testimonies and commentary on an ongoing criminal case. He has argued that its screening could incite public unrest, interfere with the investigation into Moosewala’s murder and violate the family’s legal rights, including privacy and posthumous dignity.

Sidhu Moosewala was killed at Jawaharke village near Mansa on May 29, 2022.