Interview case: Lawrence was given a studio-like setup and Wi-Fi facility in jail, High Court rebukes police

Interview case: The Punjab-Haryana High Court has reprimanded the Punjab police for the interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in jail.

Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi: The Punjab-Haryana High Court has reprimanded the Punjab police for the interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in jail. The court said that Lawrence was provided with studio-like facilities and Wi-Fi during the interview. The court has ordered a fresh investigation into the matter in 2023, when Lawrence was lodged in Bathinda jail. Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Lapita Banerjee’s bench said that the police officers allowed the criminal to use electronic devices in jail, which glorifies the crime. This can increase the chances of extortion and other crimes by the criminal and his accomplices.

The court asked, why the DGP said that no interview took place in Punjab’s jail? Why were the officials involved not booked under section 120-B of the Criminal Conspiracy Act? The court has ordered the formation of a new SIT to investigate the matter under sections of extortion, cheating, and IT Act. The SIT will submit a status report within six weeks. The court was informed that seven police officers have been suspended in the matter, and departmental action has been initiated against eight others.

Government also gets flak from the court

The court has also pulled up the Bhagwant Mann-led state government for handling the matter and said that junior-level officers are being made scapegoats. Out of the suspended officers, only two were gazetted officers, while the rest were junior employees. The court has also questioned why senior officers did not file an affidavit in the interview case.