Punjab police say they have arrested eight people in connection with the murder of rapper Sidhu Moose Wala, who rose to fame in Brampton, Ontario.
The suspects were detained “for providing logistical support, driving [reconnaissance] and housed the shooters,” police said in a Tuesday news release.
Police also said they identified the four shooters involved, who are still at large.
Moose Wala, 28, was shot dead on May 29 in Mansa, Punjab, while driving with two other people. Police at the time said the killing was likely the result of a “gang rivalry”.
Police said one of those arrested was watching the rapper who disguised himself as a fan and took a selfie with Moose Wala minutes before his murder.
The suspect also reportedly relayed information that Moose Wala was not accompanied by his security personnel and was traveling in an unarmed vehicle, police said.
The other arrested were charged with guarding Moose Wala, forming a shooting team, providing vehicles for the shooters and providing a hiding place for them.
“Consistent efforts are being made to arrest the identified shooters and those accused of involvement in the crime,” police said in a news release.
Rapper became famous in Canada
Moose Wala was born in Moosa, a village in the Mansa district of Punjab, India in 1993. After earning a degree in electrical engineering in 2016, he moved to Brampton, Ontario.
Moose Wala found much success in the Punjabi rap scene after moving to Canada. He performed to sold-out audiences in Winnipeg and Toronto, and was also an iconic figure in Surrey, British Columbia, home to Canada’s second largest South Asian population. Several hundred people gathered in Surrey to keep watch after the star’s death.
The rapper, who also has an acting career, joined the Indian National Congress party last year after returning to his home country.
He has contested the Punjab state election in 2022, losing to Dr. Vijay Singla of the Aam Aadmi party, which is the ruling party in the states of Punjab and Delhi.
