After the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday arrested a father-son duo from Malout and their alleged associate in connection with a Rs 20 lakh bribery case linked to officials of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, Balkaur Singh questioned the Punjab government over the security cover allegedly provided to the accused.
Balkaur Singh, father of slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, raised concerns on social media and sought answers from the state government regarding how the accused were allegedly able to secure official protection despite facing serious allegations.
In posts on X, Balkaur alleged that the Bhagwant Mann-led government provided security personnel to a father-son duo from Malout, who allegedly acted as middlemen in a vigilance bribery case, while they had withdrawn two gunmen from Sidhu Moosewala’s security before his murder.
“Despite repeated warnings from Delhi-based intelligence agencies regarding my son’s safety, the government withdrew two gunmen from my son’s security in the name of reducing security expenses across the country," Balkaur wrote on X.
Balkaur Singh said the government treats the security of “hardworking Punjabis, businessmen, taxpayers, and global icons like my son” as a burden on the state exchequer, while allegedly extending protection to Delhi-based leaders and individuals facing corruption allegations.
His remarks have once again reignited debate over security arrangements for high-risk public figures in Punjab, particularly after the killing of Sidhu Moosewala, who was shot dead at Jawaharke village in Mansa district on May 29, 2022.
The controversy intensified after the CBI, in a press release issued on Tuesday, stated that it was also examining the role and attachment of Punjab Police gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles who were allegedly accompanying the accused.
The CBI arrested three persons in the case, Raghav Goyal, a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader; his father Vikas Goyal and Ankit Wadhwa, said to be their driver. All three residents of Malout were arrested from different locations in and around Chandigarh.
According to the agency, the arrests are linked to an alleged bribery network involving Punjab Vigilance Bureau officials. The probe is underway and more arrests or questioning of officials may follow, sources said.
