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The involvement of senior police officers “may suggest receipt of illegal gratification from the criminal or his associates” the court said, ordering a fresh inquiry
Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi comes out of the Amritsar court complex in October 2022 amid heavy police security. His gang was involved in the killing of singer Sidhu Moose Wala, and more recently politician Baba Siddique. (Getty Images)
The Punjab & Haryana High Court on Wednesday lambasted Punjab Police for providing a “studio-like facility” to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi for a September 2022 TV interview that led to “glorification of crime”.
Reprimanding the Punjab government for failing to comply with an August 2024 order directing disciplinary action against senior cops who helped conduct the interview, Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Lapita Banerji said: “The office of the Officer Incharge of the Police Station was used as a studio to conduct the interview. The official Wi-Fi at the premises of the CIA staff had been provided for conducting the interview which is a pointer towards the criminal conspiracy. The report indicates that roznamcha was also forged and fabricated.”
The court noted that the matter called for further investigation and the various aspects towards offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act besides other offences need to be examined.
The involvement of senior police officers “may suggest receipt of illegal gratification from the criminal or his associates” the court said, ordering a fresh inquiry by a three-member team led by Prabodh Kumar, the Special Director-General of Police attached to the state’s Human Right Commission.
Lawrence Bishnoi, whom the court noted is involved in 71 criminal cases in Punjab alone, including four under anti-terror law UAPA, is also a suspect in the murder of popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala. He was interviewed by a Hindi news channel in March 2023.
- Location :
Chandigarh, India
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