Who's Baaz Sran? Fugitive singer who dodged NCB for 9yrs
What's the story
On Wednesday, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested Jagsir Singh, a proclaimed offender since 2016, after he evaded the law for nine years. Singh, who goes by the stage name Baaz Sran, was wanted in a 2015 drug case involving over 36kg of opium. He hails from Malikpura village in Haryana's Sirsa district.
Evasion tactics
Singh became a popular Punjabi singer during his hiding
Singh managed to evade arrest for almost a decade by constantly changing his identity and location. During this time, he reinvented himself as a popular singer on social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram. His songs, often glamorizing crime and jail life, amassed millions of views. He even collaborated with renowned Punjabi female singers such as Deepak Dhillon and Gurlez Akhtar.
Arrest details
NCB offered reward for information leading to his arrest
The NCB recently stepped up its search for Singh. In May, they published his details in newspapers and announced a ₹50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. Based on the inputs received thereafter, he was arrested on Wednesday by the Chandigarh zonal unit of NCB.
Lifestyle
Fitness freak; didn't consume drugs, say officials
Despite his involvement in a major drug trafficking case, Singh reportedly did not consume drugs himself. An NCB official said, "He's a fitness freak. We arrested him right after he had been out for a run and was exercising." His song Sarkari Kothi (government house) ironically compares jail to an official residence. The lyrics go: "Jattan di sarkari kothi hundi jail kuddey (The government house of Jatt is jail, girl)."
Legal action
Co-accused convicted; Singh now faces legal proceedings
While one of his co-accused has already been convicted, Singh will now face proceedings for his long-pending charges. Sarkari Kothi also talks about facing serious charges, including those under the Arms Act and attempt to murder (Section 307). One line goes: "25, 54, 59 laggi naal 307 de ni, jail diyaan baahlian likhiyaan karman vich jatt de di (I've been charged under Sections 25, 54, 59 and 307; a jail term is written in the fate of a Jatt)."