The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the additional director general of prisons in Punjab to file an affidavit following concerns about the lack of progress in a case relating to a television interview featuring gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, aired approximately eight months ago.
A division bench of Justices Anupinder Singh Grewal and Kirti Singh expressed worry about the interview. They observed that Bishnoi, an accused in the 2022 murder case of singer Sidhu Moosewala, was in either police or judicial custody when the interview was conducted. The court emphasized the importance of identifying and holding accountable those who facilitated the interview.
This issue arose during the court’s hearing of a suo-motu matter related to the use of mobile phones by jail inmates. The court took notice of the interview conducted by a private television news channel in March, consisting of two parts featuring Bishnoi.
The Punjab Police initially claimed that the interview was not recorded within any state jails, subsequently forming a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the matter. The court’s order highlighted that Bishnoi was reportedly in the custody of the Punjab Police or in judicial custody during the time of the interview.
In response to the court’s inquiry regarding Bishnoi’s custody during the interview, the counsel for the Punjab government stated that he was in judicial custody in Bathinda Jail when the interview was aired. Efforts were ongoing to determine the specific time and place of the interview.
A committee, established in March with the special DGP (STF) and ADGP (prisons), has been investigating the matter, but the court expressed concern about the lack of significant progress in the seven months since its formation.
The court emphasized the seriousness of allowing a suspect in police or judicial custody to provide an extensive interview and urged the identification and accountability of the officers who permitted or facilitated the interview.
Furthermore, the court appointed advocate Tanu Bedi to assist as an “amicus curiae” in the matter and scheduled the next hearing for November 28, 2023.
