Eight people have been arrested in connection with the death of a Punjabi rapper linked to Toronto, including a man who took a selfie with the victim minutes before the shooting.
Sidhu Mus Vala was driving in Mansa, Punjab with two others when he was shot. The 28-year-old man was rushed to hospital but later pronounced dead.
In a press release issued Tuesday, Punjab police said at least eight people had been detained “for providing logistical support, identifying and hiding the shooters”.
According to the police, one of the eight people is alleged to have followed the moments of Moose Walla, posing as a fan. The suspect, identified by police as Sandip Singh (pseudonym Kekda of Sirsa), took a selfie with the singer as he left home minutes before the murder.
A surveillance video released by police shows a crowd in front of Muse Wala’s vehicle on the road, forcing him to stop. There were people in the crowd who appeared in the video to take pictures with the singer using a mobile phone.
It is not clear in the video whether Moose Wala stayed in the car or got out of the vehicle.
Police said Kekda said he shared details about Muz Vala’s security, the fact that he was traveling in a bulletproof vehicle and the number of people he was with.
Other suspects allegedly delivered the car to the suspected shooters, while others provided shelter to “collaborators” earlier in the year who monitored the home of Moose Vala and surrounding areas.
Police say they have identified four shooters in connection with the incident. No specific details were released, but investigators said the shooters and drivers acted “from abroad”.
Another surveillance video released by investigators shows a vehicle refueling at a gas station. Police described the vehicle as a Bolero and said it was believed to be the same used by the attackers.
Moose Wala attended Humber College in Toronto as an international student and lives in Brampton, Ont. for many years. In 2020, his texts became the focus of an investigation in India and he was accused of allegedly promoting the culture of weapons.
He joined the Indian Congress Party last year and ran in the state election, winning second place.
A day before he was killed, local media reported that the guards of more than 400 people, including Moose Walla, had been withdrawn in an attempt to break VIP culture.
With files from Phil Cecuras of CTV News in Toronto
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