Lawrence Bishnoi interview case: Will take strict action against delinquent officers, Punjab govt tells High Court

Chandigarh: The Punjab government Tuesday assured the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it will take strict action against the delinquent police officers in connection with an interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi while in police custody.

A division bench of justices Anupinder Singh Grewal and Lapita Banerji directed the Punjab government to place on record the transcript of the statement given by the Director General of Police during a press conference in March last year, claiming that no interview of Bishnoi took place in any jail in the state.

The high court, while deferring the matter to December 2, also directed the principal secretary (home) Punjab to be present in the court on the next date of hearing.

The court was hearing a suo motu matter related to the use of mobile phones by inmates on jail premises.

In March last year, a private news channel ran two interviews of Bishnoi.

A special investigation team of Punjab Police in its report submitted to the high court in July had found that an interview of Bishnoi that "tends to glorify crime and criminals" was conducted when the gangster was in Punjab Police custody in Mohali's Kharar.

The interview was conducted at the premises of crime investigating agency staff of Kharar, which falls in the jurisdiction of SAS Nagar, Mohali in Punjab on the intervening night of September 3 and 4 in 2022.

The second interview was conducted when the gangster was lodged in central jail in Jaipur in Rajasthan.

Bishnoi is one of the accused in the 2022 singer Sidhu Moosewala murder case.

During the hearing on Tuesday, Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh assured the court that strict action would be taken against the delinquent officers in the matter.

He further submitted that disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against the officers.

The competent authority for initiating action against the officers of the rank of deputy superintendent of police and above is the department of Home Affairs and Justice, the court was informed.

The AG also apprised the court that a retired high court judge has been appointed to inquire against the delinquent officers involved in the matter.

"He (AG) also submits that they have appointed a retired High Court Judge to conduct the enquiry but they are willing to re-consider the matter and suggestions would be placed with regard to the list of names of the retired High Court Judges before this court on the next date of hearing," said the court order.

"We direct that the transcript of the statement made by the Director General of Police, Punjab before the press conference be provided to this Court," said the order.

In pursuance to the court's October 28 order, the AG filed an affidavit of the DGP, Punjab in the court which was taken on record.

During the previous hearing, the high court had directed the DGP to disclose the basis of his March 2023 statement that Bishnoi's interview was not conducted in any of jails in Punjab.

In the last hearing, the state government had submitted that it had suspended seven police officials and departmental proceedings had been initiated against eight officers.

However, the court had said that it had directed in August that action should be taken against senior officers who had facilitated the interview and lower level officers should not be made scapegoats.

The court had then said that it appears that no action had been taken against senior officers.

Last month, seven police officials'”two DSPs, three sub-inspectors, an assistant sub-inspector and a head constable were suspended in connection with Bishnoi's interview while in police custody.