Chandigarh: A hearing was held in the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday regarding the interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi while he was in police custody in Punjab. The court reprimanded the Punjab government over the issue and questioned why no action had been taken against the top police officer involved.
The High Court criticised the Home Secretary of the state during a video conference, accusing the government of adopting a double standard. While action was taken against junior police personnel, no measures had been taken against the SSP of Mohali at that time. The court specifically called for strict action against the then SSP of Mohali Police, who allegedly facilitated the interview of Lawrence Bishnoi at the CIA in Kharar.
“DGP is not apologizing”
The court also raised concerns over the lack of accountability from the DGP. It pointed out that when incidents occur in jail, the jail superintendent is typically dismissed, but no similar action had been taken against the then SSP. In response to the court's questions, the Home Secretary stated that the government was conducting an inquiry with a retired judge and would take action once the report was submitted. During the hearing, the government presented a recording of the DGP’s press conference, in which the DGP claimed that Lawrence Bishnoi was not interviewed in Punjab. The court remarked that the DGP had not even apologised for this mistake.
Time Until December 10 for Punjab Government
The High Court has given the Punjab government time until December 10 to take action against the then SSP of Mohali and other senior officials, in accordance with previous court orders. The court warned that if action was not taken by then, it would issue strict directives. In a previous hearing, the bench of Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Lapita Banerjee had asked the Punjab government to consider reinstating the dismissed head constable and constable involved in the case and to ensure that lower-ranking police personnel were not unfairly blamed.
Action against SSP
Adjourning the matter until next week, the High Court made it clear that action should be taken against the SSP and other senior officials. If no action is taken, the Chief Secretary will be required to appear in court during the next hearing. In the previous hearing, the court had asked why the police officers responsible for interviewing Lawrence Bishnoi in police custody were being spared. At that time, Mohali Police SSP Viveksheel Soni and the CIA in charge, DSP Gursher Sandhu, were named in the case.
Lawrence’s ‘Confession’ in the first interview
Two of Lawrence Bishnoi’s interviews went viral. The first interview aired on March 14, 2023, was conducted at CIA Kharar, during which Bishnoi confessed to the murder of Sidhu Moosewala. He claimed that Moosewala was involved in the killing of his friend, young Akali leader Vicky Midukhera, who had studied with him at DAV College in Chandigarh. According to the SIT report, the interview took place on September 3 and 4, 2023, while Lawrence was stationed at the Kharar CIA in the Mohali district. The second interview, which is being investigated by the Rajasthan Police, was conducted at Jaipur Central Jail.
DGP Denied Interview Took Place in Punjab
After the interview aired, Punjab Police DGP Gaurav Yadav held a press conference where he claimed that the interview did not take place in Bathinda or any jail in Punjab. The DGP, presenting photographs of Lawrence, also stated that when Lawrence was brought to Bathinda jail, his hair had been cut, and he did not have a beard or moustache.
Read more: ‘No Coercive Action’: SC Protects TV Journalist Regarding Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's Interview
