Sidhu Moose Wala murder: Cops make first arrest, accused sent to police custody

New Delhi, May 31: Even as the fans and well-wishers bid an emotional farewell to Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, the cops have made the first arrest in his murder case.

The police arrested Manpreet, one among the six people detained in Uttarakhand on Monday. He has been sent to police custody for five days.

In a joint operation with Dehradun police, Uttarakhand STF and Punjab STF detained six people from the Peliyon Police Chowki area for their role in the murder as they are accused of cordoning off the Shimla bypass Naya Gaon outpost.

Six persons were travelling to Punjab from Hemkund Sahib Yatra in a vehicle which was intercepted by Uttarakhand STF and local police following a tip-off.

Maoosewala (28), who was also the Congress leader, was shot dead by unidentified attackers in Jawaharke village of Mansa district on Sunday, a day after the AAP government curtailed his security in the state.

Punjab Police has registered an FIR against unknown persons under sections 302, 307, and 341 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act at City-1 at Mansa Police Station.

A sea of mourners bid a tearful farewell to Sidhu Moosewala, who was cremated at his native village in Mansa district on Tuesday afternoon. The body of the 28-year-old singer-politician was brought to his home in Moosa village amid tight security on Tuesday morning from Mansa civil hospital, where the post-mortem was conducted.

Moosewala's family, including his parents, were inconsolable as they sat beside the body at their home. His mother was seen trying to console her husband as people from Punjab, Rajasthan and Chandigarh among other places queued up in large numbers to get a last glimpse of the singer.

The singer's favourite tractor, which had figured in many of his music videos, was bedecked with flowers for his last ride to a family-owned field for the cremation.