Latest news with #TributetoSidhuMooseWala
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Assam student arrested for sending death threat to rapper Emiway Bantai
NAVI MUMBAI: The police have arrested a 19-year-old BCom student from Assam for allegedly sending a death threat with a ransom demand of ₹1 crore to rapper Bilal Shaikh, better known by his stage name Emiway Bantai. The accused, identified as Arulv Rameshkumar Alohi, was arrested following a technical analysis of a threatening message he allegedly sent to the official mobile number of Bantai Records, a label owned by the rapper, on May 25. The police learnt that the message had been sent from the Sonitpur district of Assam, from where the accused was tracked and brought to Navi Mumbai for further questioning. 'While the arrest has been made, we are probing whether the accused acted independently or was following instructions from a larger network,' said an officer from the NRI Coastal police station. Alohi was produced before a court on Wednesday, which remanded him in police custody till Thursday, the officer added. In the threat message, the accused identified himself as Goldy Brar, a Canada-based close associate of incarcerated gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The message also mentioned the name of US-based Rohit Godara, another close associate of the gangster, officers said. The timing of the threat coincided with a song released by Bantai on May 26 titled Tribute to Sidhu Moose Wala, almost exactly three years after the popular Punjabi musician was assassinated by unidentified assailants. The police had claimed that Bishnoi, who has been in jail since 2014, was the mastermind behind the killing, for which Brar had also claimed responsibility.
Hindustan Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Rapper Emiway Bantai receives ₹1 cr ransom call from ‘Goldy Brar'
NAVI MUMBAI: Popular rapper Muhammad Bilal Shaikh, better known by his stage name Emiway Bantai, has received a death threat with a ransom demand of ₹1 crore from a person who identified himself as Goldy Brar, a Canada-based close associate of incarcerated gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, according to the police. The threat message sent to the rapper also mentioned the name of US-based Rohit Godara, another close associate of the gangster, officers said. A mobile number registered with Shaikh's company Bantai Records received the message on May 25. The rapper, who lives in Nerul, filed a complaint at the NRI Coastal police station early Tuesday through an employee of Bantai Records who spotted the message. The message stated, 'I am gangster Goldy Brar. Your singer has 24 hours. I want ₹1 crore or else I will kill him.' Coincidentally, Shaikh released a song titled Tribute to Sidhu Moose Wala on May 26, almost exactly three years after the popular Punjabi rapper was gunned down by unidentified assailants in his hometown of Mansa. The police later claimed Bishnoi, who has been in jail since 2014, was the mastermind behind the killing, for which Brar also claimed responsibility. The NRI Coastal police have registered a case against an unidentified person under sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita related to extortion. They are investigating the matter and trying to ascertain the identity of the person who sent the message, officers said. HT tried contacting Shaikh, but the calls went unanswered. Who is Emiway Bantai? Widely recognised as one of Indian hip-hop's biggest success stories, Emiway Bantai is also one of the scene's most contentious and divisive voices. The Bengaluru-born, Mumbai-raised rapper—whose real name is Muhammad Bilal Shaikh—made his debut in 2013 with the English rap song Glint Lock. But on his father's advice, he shifted focus to rapping in Hindi, finding early underground success with 2014 single Aur Bantai. The prolific rapper has kept up a steady stream of releases, finally breaking through into the mainstream with 2019's party-rap cut Machayenge, which went viral on the now-banned TikTok and racked up over 228 million views on YouTube. Collaborations with international stars—including Macklemore, Snoop Dogg, Lazarus, and Jamaican cricketer Chris Gayle—followed. With 21.8 million followers on YouTube, and over three billion views, Emiway—who launched his own label Bantai Records in 2021—has now established himself as one of India's biggest independent music stars. Emiway's rise to the top has also been characterised by conflicts with other rappers, notably a beef with former collaborator Raftaar in 2018 that saw the two exchange a furious flurry of diss tracks, generating intense social media buzz in the process. He's also feuded with rappers such as Divine, MC Stan, King and Muhfaad, though his most enduring and divisive beef has been with New Delhi rapper KR$NA.
