On May 29, 2022, rising Punjabi music sensation and youth icon Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu—better known as Sidhu Moose Wala—was riddled with bullets in broad daylight, just a day after the Punjab government controversially withdrew his security cover. He was 28. For three years, rumours, gangland whispers, and unconfirmed reports swirled around why such a brutal execution took place.
Now, the man who publicly claimed responsibility for orchestrating the assassination—Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar—has finally spoken. In a disturbing and unrepentant BBC interview released on Moose Wala’s birth anniversary, Brar declared with chilling finality:
“In his arrogance, he made some mistakes that could not be forgiven. We had no option but to kill him. It was either him or us. As simple as that.”
But the “mistakes” Brar speaks of go beyond personal rivalry. His words expose a darker, far more dangerous truth: a deadly nexus of crime, politics, and betrayal rooted in Punjab’s underworld turf war between two warring gangs — Lawrence Bishnoi’s syndicate and their bitter enemies, the Bambiha gang.
The origins of the vendetta, as per Brar, go back to what appears on the surface to be a trivial event — a kabaddi tournament in Bhago Majra, a village associated with the Bambiha gang. Moose Wala’s decision to publicly promote the tournament, which was reportedly organised by Bambiha loyalists, did not sit well with Lawrence Bishnoi’s camp.
“That’s a village our rivals come from. He was promoting our enemies,” Brar told the media. “That’s when Lawrence and others were upset with him. They warned him. He didn’t listen. He was playing both sides.”
The tension could have been defused. In fact, it briefly was by Vicky Middukhera, a Youth Akali Dal leader and close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi. But that fragile peace collapsed in August 2021, when Middukhera was gunned down in Mohali. The Bambiha gang quickly claimed responsibility.
However, according to Brar, the Bishnoi camp believed Sidhu Moose Wala had played a role in the assassination. “Everyone knew Sidhu’s role. The police investigating knew. The journalists knew. But no one acted. He was too powerful,” said Brar.
The police later named Shaganpreet Singh, Moose Wala’s close aide and manager, in their chargesheet in Middukhera’s murder case. This cemented the belief within Bishnoi’s gang that Moose Wala had facilitated, or at least shielded, the killers.
At first glance, Sidhu Moose Wala appeared to be just a singer. But to his enemies, he was a cultural force with political power, money, and street influence. With over 10 million YouTube subscribers, international fan tours, and his entry into electoral politics (he contested the 2022 Punjab Assembly election on a Congress ticket), Moose Wala was no longer just a performer — he was a player.
“Sidhu was not neutral. He was using his political connections to help our rivals,” Brar alleged. “He mixed with politicians, used his influence to protect those who killed our people. He was mocking us.”
In the interview, Brar also dismissed the notion that Moose Wala tried to make peace by maintaining contact with Bishnoi. “He would send ‘good morning’ and ‘good night’ messages to Lawrence,” said Brar mockingly. “Flattering him, acting clever. But you can’t play both sides in a war. Sooner or later, you get caught in the middle.”
On May 29, 2022, Sidhu Moose Wala left his home without his police escort and drove his black Thar SUV with a cousin and friend near Jawahar Ke village, minutes away from Moosa. That’s when a team of trained shooters allegedly sent by Brar’s gang ambushed the vehicle and unleashed over 30 bullets.
Mobile footage recorded by bystanders showed Moose Wala’s bullet-riddled SUV windscreen shattered, bonnet peppered with holes, blood spilling onto the dusty road. The post-mortem confirmed 24 bullets pierced his body. His cousin and friend survived. The singer did not.
The attack came just 24 hours after the Punjab government cut down his security cover, a decision that remains under public and judicial scrutiny. Perhaps the most disturbing element of Brar’s interview is the open justification for the murder and his complete lack of remorse.
“We asked for action. We wanted him punished through the system. He should have been jailed. But nobody listened,” Brar said. “So we took it upon ourselves. When decency falls on deaf ears, it’s the gunshot that gets heard.”
In other words, Sidhu Moose Wala was executed not just for being associated with a rival gang, but for evading the punishment Brar’s gang thought he deserved — a punishment that the State failed to deliver.
Goldy Brar remains at large in Canada, despite being labelled an individual terrorist by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Indian authorities have issued multiple red-corner notices, but no extradition has occurred. Meanwhile, Brar gives interviews from foreign soil, glorifying assassination, issuing threats, and mocking the rule of law.
Lawrence Bishnoi, the jailed mastermind behind multiple contract killings, continues to pull strings from within the prison system. The Punjab police, central agencies, and judiciary are yet to decisively dismantle the criminal empire behind Moose Wala’s murder.
