Moosewala's last rites to be held amid heavy security, fans raise slogans

Several mourners gathered at the residence of slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala in Punjab's Mansa district on Tuesday morning as the family prepared to conduct his last rites.

Accompanied by some relatives, Moosewala's father received his son's body from Mansa Civil hospital, where it was kept for post-mortem, around 8.15 am.

The body has been taken to his residence at Moosa village in Mansa.

The last rites of Moosewala, who was killed on Sunday, will be performed on Tuesday.

A heavy police force has been deployed outside the residence of the slain Punjabi singer.

Mourners, especially the youth and the singer's fans, assembled outside the house to pay their last respects.

Several people raised slogans in his favour.

Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, known as Sidhu Moosewala, was shot dead on Sunday by unidentified assailants in Punjab's Mansa district, a day after the state government curtailed his security cover.

His cousin and a friend, who were travelling in a Mahindra Thar jeep with him, were also injured in the attack.

The 28-year-old Punjabi singer had fought the recent assembly election in Punjab on a Congress ticket from Mansa and was defeated by the Aam Aadmi Party's Vijay Singla.

Moosewala was among the 424 people whose security was withdrawn or curtailed by the Punjab Police on Saturday on a temporary basis.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday announced setting up a judicial commission headed by a sitting high court judge to probe the brutal killing of Sidhu Moosewala.

The state police on Monday claimed to have rounded up some suspects and got important leads in connection with the killing.

It had termed the assassination a case of an inter-gang rivalry and that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang was behind the killing.