Sakinaka rape-murder: Accused gets death sentence, court says leniency will not do

"(Going by) The facts, circumstances involved in the crime, the nature of injuries caused to the victim, the overall conduct of the accused, I am of considered view that the accused deserves optimum punishment for committing rape by inserting the article in private part of the victim, causing her vital, deadly, fatal injuries and killing her," the court said.

Mansa:Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Thursday said slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala's family has written to the Centre seeking a probe by central agencies into his brutal murder. Shekhawat along with other BJP leaders visited Moosewala's house on Thursday to express his condolences over the singer's death.

He was accompanied by state BJP chief Ashwani Sharma and party leader Sunil Jakhar. Talking to reporters later, Shekhawat said the singer's family has demanded a probe into the murder by central agencies. Shekhawat said the family has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah in this regard. On May 29, Moosewala was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Punjab's Mansa district, a day after the state government pruned his security cover. His cousin and a friend, who were travelling in a jeep with him, were also injured in the attack.

The Union minister slammed the AAP government in Punjab for the withdrawal of the security cover of over 400 people and then making public their names. It was a gross failure on the part of the state government by first withdrawing the security cover and then later putting the details out in order to gain political advantage, he said. By doing so, the government invited criminals to target the victims, he alleged.

A person is given security after proper assessment of threat perception, said Shekhawat demanding a reply from the government over the sudden withdrawal of security cover. Punjab ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal also on Thursday met the family of Moosewala in Mansa and they assured them that those behind his killing will be brought to justice.

It was for the first time since the brutal murder of Moosewala that any minister of the AAP government came to Mansa to meet the family. "Today, I met the family of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. I assured his father that we would definitely bring out the truth and that no one would be spared. This is an extremely sombre and critical hour for the family, and we are all standing with them in this hour of grief," said Finance Minister Harpal Cheema.

The AAP government has been under fire over the pruning of security cover of 424 people and then allegedly making the list of protectees public. Several political leaders, including SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, his wife and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal visited the residence of Moosewala here to condole the death.

Badal demanded from the state government to give justice to the family of the singer at the earliest. Harsimrat Kaur Badal in her tweet said, "Speechless anguish that only silence can express. With Sidhu Moosewala's mother." Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann earlier had announced setting up of a judicial commission headed by a sitting high court judge to probe the killing of 28-year-old Moosewala. Punjab police chief V K Bhawra had claimed that prima facie it seemed to be a case of inter-gang rivalry.

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