CHANDIGARH: Three unidentified masked men on a motorcycle allegedly fired at least six rounds at the main gate of Punjabi singer Gulab Sidhu’s residence in Pharwahi village, late Saturday night. However, no one was injured.
Gulab was not at home, but his family members were present. The bullets hit the main gate, leaving visible marks.
Gangster Doni Bal later claimed responsibility for the attack in a purported audio that has gone viral on social media. In the audio, he accused Gulab of cashing in on the name of slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. "He has been attending the weddings of the friends of those who killed Sidhu. He could not hear our phone ringing. We have given him a little sense. We just rang the doorbell with this,” the audio claimed.
CCTV footage of the incident has also circulated on social media. It shows the driver recording the incident, while the other two are seen opening fire with their left hands.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Barnala, Mohammad Sarfaraz Alam said the police were investigating the incident and had not yet confirmed any gang’s involvement. “At least six rounds were fired. Three suspects on a bike have been captured in the CCTV footage,” he said, adding that the police were trying to identify them.
Gulab, who has received threats and extortion demands in the past, is currently abroad, reportedly in Australia for events. The Punjab police have provided him with two security personnel due to the threat perception from gangsters.
Gulab was a close friend of Moosewala, who was shot dead on May 29, 2022, at Jawaharke village in Mansa district. Gulab’s Instagram display picture carries the tagline “Justice for Sidhu Moosewala”.
Earlier this year, Gulab faced a controversy over a song about sarpanches. In January, Pharwahi village sarpanch Baljinder Singh, alias Kinda, allegedly threatened him with dire consequences. Police later arrested the sarpanch and two associates for allegedly plotting an attack on the singer and running an extortion racket targeting celebrities and businessmen. A .32-bore pistol, three live cartridges, a dummy pistol and a car were recovered from the accused.
