Supreme Court grants bail to two accused in Sidhu Moose Wala murder case

The Supreme Court of India granted bail to two accused in the 2022 murder case of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala. The relief was granted to Pawan Bishnoi and Jagtar Singh after the court considered submissions made by their legal counsels.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta passed the order while hearing the bail pleas of the two accused. Both had approached the apex court after their requests for bail were earlier rejected by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. According to the case details, Pawan Bishnoi was accused of arranging a Bolero vehicle allegedly used in the shooting that killed Moose Wala.

The prosecution claimed the vehicle was arranged at the behest of Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, who is considered a prime accused in the case. However, the defence argued that Bishnoi had been implicated based mainly on a confessional statement and that there was no supporting material evidence.

Counsel representing Bishnoi also told the court that he had already spent more than three-and-a-half years in custody and that the trial could take considerable time as the prosecution has listed around 180 witnesses. Meanwhile, the defence for Jagtar Singh argued that he was only a neighbour of the singer and had not helped conduct any reconnaissance or share information related to the attack.

Moose Wala, aged 28, was shot dead by unidentified assailants on May 29, 2022, in Punjab’s Mansa district. The high-profile case involves more than 20 accused and continues to be under trial. After hearing arguments from both sides, the Supreme Court decided it was appropriate to grant bail to the two accused.