Gangster nexus dominating Punjabi music industry under spotlight after Moose Wala's murder

At least three artists from the Punjabi music industry have confirmed the proximity of Punjabi artists to gangsters.

Sidhu Moose Wala’s gruesome murder might have sent shockwaves across the country, but for the Punjabi music industry it’s nothing new. At least three out of a total of seven members of the Punjabi music industry India Today spoke to confirmed that the proximity of artists with gangsters is what results in such incidents.

“Some of these singers don’t know when to distance themselves from these gangsters. At the end of the day, these gangsters were common people studying in colleges. That is why they easily come in contact with these singers. When singers need to get their money from producers, they often seek help from the gangsters. And the link continues,” said Gabbar Sangroor, a Punjabi music producer.

READ | Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala shot dead day after security withdrawn

Sangroor went on to state that often these gangsters are also fans because of the kind of songs the artists churn out, especially those which glorify the gun culture.

According to him, when a singer is promoted by associates or elements linked to a particular gang, they usually get branded as an associate of the gang.

This statement can be corroborated by a post by renowned singer Mankirt Aulakh, whose name is associated with Sidhu Moose Wala’s death.

In a post dating back to 2014, that has now been deleted, Aulakh had written about his performance in Ropar jail and mentioned the names of some known gangsters.