Sidhu Moosewala’s father gets more time to file reply

A local court in Mansa has asked Balkaur Singh, father of late Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, to file his reply by July 21 in a case seeking a stay on the BBC World Service’s documentary on his son. He had failed to do so earlier, despite being given time by the court.

Meanwhile, the BBC and its two employees filed their written reply on Tuesday. They have challenged the case, saying the Mansa court has no authority to hear it. “Sidhu Moosewala was a public figure, and the documentary was made accordingly,” said Advocate Gurdas Mann, counsel for the BBC’s employees. Balkaur Singh had earlier approached the court to stop the release of the documentary, claiming it was made without the family’s permission and could hurt their sentiments. Based on his plea, the court had earlier asked the BBC to respond by June 16.

Two episodes of the documentary, titled The Killing Call, were released on June 11, the singer’s birth anniversary. The episodes reportedly depict parts of Moosewala’s life and his tragic death.