Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi objects to use of 'terrorist' in court papers; files petition

The special court judge, KM Sojitra, has sought a response from the NIA in this regard and kept the matter for hearing on September 22. On Monday, the accused was sent to judicial custody by the special court as his police remand in the 2022 drug seizure case off the Gujarat coast ended.

Chandigarh: Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is behind bars in Punjab in connection with a drug smuggling case, on Monday, filed a petition before the special court, seeking its direction that the National Investigating Agency (NIA) — the probing agency — should desist from using the words "terrorist" or "gangster" against him in the court or police documents without "cogent" or "convincing" evidence.

The special court judge KM Sojitra has sought a response from NIA in this regard and kept the matter for hearing on September 22. On Monday, the accused was sent to judicial custody by the special court as his police remand in the 2022 drug seizure case off the Gujarat coast ended. Lawrence is also an accused in the Punjab singer Sidhu Moose Wala murder case.

In the petition filed by Lawrence's lawyer Anand Brahmbhat, it was stated that "No one should take away my precious rights as a citizen of India. Hence, kindly please issue the necessary instructions to the probing agency in this connection."

In April, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) had taken Lawrence into custody after the recovery of 39 kg of narcotics from a boat off the Gujarat coast. The drug seizure off the Gujarat coast had taken place in September 2022. The consignment of drugs was sent from a Pakistan handler on the instructions of Lawrence. Later, the case was handed over to NIA by the Gujarat ATS. The special court had granted Lawrence's remand from September 12 to 16, which was later extended up to September 18. Finally, he was sent to judicial custody till September 22.

Alleging falsely implicated in the case, Lawrence said," I was wrongly implicated in several cases despite being innocent. I have been behind bars for almost 10 years. The probing agency has labelled me a gangster and terrorist." The NIA has been probing gangster Lawrence's links with terror outfits such as Babbar Khalsa International.