The BBC World Service released a two-part documentary on YouTube about the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala on Wednesday, which was also his birth anniversary.
The documentary was posted online at 5 AM, even though Moosewala’s father, Balkaur Singh Sidhu, had asked a court in Mansa, Punjab, to stop it from being shown or released. The court will hear his request on Thursday.
The BBC had planned to show the documentary in a cinema hall in Mumbai on Wednesday evening, but after the controversy, they decided to release it on YouTube instead.
At the same time, three of his songs were also released on his official YouTube channel on Wednesday.
Why Sidhu Moose Wala’s Father Opposes BBC Documentary
Balkaur Singh, the father of Sidhu Moose Wala, also wrote a letter to the Director General of Police (DGP) in Maharashtra, asking to stop the screening of the BBC documentary.
In his complaint to the Maharashtra DGP and Juhu Police Station in Mumbai, he said that the BBC World Service was planning to show the documentary on June 11 at 3 PM in Juhu.
He said the documentary was made without his permission and claimed it included false information about his son’s murder. He also asked for a ban on the screening, saying the film could damage his son’s reputation.
Balkaur Singh also said he was worried the documentary might reveal new and unpublished details about the case.
Balkaur Singh also said the documentary includes interviews with people who are named in the FIR related to his son’s murder. He believes this could affect the ongoing court case.
He asked that the June 11 screening of the documentary be stopped, and said he may take legal action if his concerns are not taken seriously.