Mansa: A child rights organisation has filed a formal complaint with the Mansa district administration seeking action to safeguard the welfare of two-and-a-half-year-old Sukhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Chhota Sidhu, after he appeared on stage making gun gestures during a concert in Toronto. The toddler is the younger brother of late Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, widely known as Sidhu Moosewala, who was killed in a targeted shooting in May 2022.
Lawyers for Human Rights International submitted the complaint before the District Magistrate and the District Child Protection Unit. Signed by the organisation's general secretary, the petition requests an official inquiry into the incident and official directions to ensure the child is not encouraged to imitate firearm gestures during public appearances.
The young child was brought on stage during the opening show of a hologram concert tour at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, with his parents, Balkaur Singh and Charan Kaur, present. During the appearance, the toddler was seen making a pistol-firing gesture while imitating gunfire sounds and performing a thigh-slap gesture associated with his late brother.
The performance drew audience applause, and video footage quickly spread across social media. The human rights group also pointed to a subsequent video that reportedly shows adults around the child prompting and teaching him to make the pistol gestures, raising concerns about the potential psychological impact on his development and safety.
Highlighting the violent circumstances surrounding Sidhu Moosewala's death, which was linked to gang rivalry, the organisation requested parental counselling and interim restrictions to stop the child from enacting gunfire during public events. The petition asks authorities to take cognisance under the Juvenile Justice Act and conduct an inquiry, stressing that the intervention aims purely to protect the minor's welfare rather than target the family or the late singer's memory.
The complaint was dispatched to the Mansa administration as the tour continued with scheduled performances across North America. Authorities have not yet issued a formal order or finding in response to the filing.