The Punjab and Haryana high court has dismissed bail of Joginder Singh alias Joga, an accused in the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala, terming him “one of the prime accused”.
Later, the police found the killing was executed by persons linked to gangster Goldy Brar. The high court bench of justice JS Bedi passed the order on a petition from Joginder Singh claiming that he has been falsely implicated in the case. He had submitted that allegations against him are of harboring accused persons and allegedly arranging shelter for shooters on the instructions of Goldi Brar prior to the incident. The trial of the case is not likely to be concluded anytime soon. Police had claimed that the petitioner, acting at the behest of Goldy Brar, arranged accommodation and safe shelters for shooters — Priyawart, alias Fauji, Ankit, alias Sersa, Kashish, alias Kuldeep and Deepak Mundi, prior to the killing. “Quite apparently, the petitioner is one of the prime conspirators in the conspiracy to murder Shubhdeep Singh, also known as Sidhu Moosewala. He not only provided shelter to the assailants but also provided a weapon to one of his co-accused. Pursuant to being nominated as an accused, he absconded and was declared a proclaimed offender. He has a lengthy criminal record. There is every possibility that he would abscond from justice, tamper with the evidence or influence eyewitnesses in case he is granted the concession of bail,” the bench observed, dismissing the plea in view of police allegations and criminal record against him.
Moosewala, 28, was shot dead by unidentified assailants on May 29, 2022, in Jawaharke village of Mansa district. The singer was attacked while driving his SUV, with over 30 rounds fired. Joginder has been in custody since June 2023 but only 20 of the 180 prosecution witnesses have been examined so far. He was arrested only on June 26, 2023.
The nature of the allegations as also his antecedents do not entitle him to the concession of bail and therefore, the present petition is liable to be dismissed, the government counsel had said.
Hence, he is entitled for bail, according to the petition. “His role constitutes an integral link in the chain of conspiracy and cannot be treated as remote, incidental or confined merely to post-occurrence assistance….he provided a 30-bore pistol to co-accused Rajinder Singh, aliasJoker,” the police had told the court adding that he is a “serial offender” with 20 cases registered against him in Punjab, Haryana and other places.
