Lawrence Bishnoi Jail Interview Row: P&H HC Directs Rajasthan AG To Appear After SIT Says One Interview Was Conducted From Rajasthan Prison

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has impleaded Rajasthan as a respondent in a Suo Moto cognizance taken on video of Lawrence Bishnoi interview from Jail and directed Rajasthan Advocate General (AG) to appear through VC.

The development came after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court revealed that gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's first interview "glorifying crime and criminals" was conducted when he was in Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) premises in Punjab's Kharar and the second interview was in Rajasthan's Jail Jaipur.

Consequently, the Amicus Curiae Tanu Bedi moved an application for impleadment of Rajasthan as a respondent party.

Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Lapita Banerji allowed the application for impleadment, issued notice to Rajasthan Government and requested the AG to appear before it through VC on September 05.

The Court had previously observed that the interviews justify targeted killings and criminal activities. It also apprehended that the viral interview, with nearly 12 million views on Youtube, may have encouraged criminals.

The Bench had therefore directed Punjab's DGP to file an affidavit "setting out the number and details of registration of criminal cases especially those relating to extortion/threatening calls, calls for ransom, abduction and intimidation of witnesses in the State of Punjab w.e.f. March, 2023 uptil December, 2023 when the interviews were directed to be removed from the website/channel/URL and 09 months prior to the broadcast of the interview."

The Court was hearing its suo moto case against the use of mobile phones in the prisons. It observed that though Punjab Police is one of the best police forces in the Country, there is an urgent need to identify the "black sheep" in the force and bring the corrupt officials to books.

The matter is now listed on September 05, for further consideration.

Amicus Curiae Tanu Bedi and Palak Gupta appeared for the applicant.

Title: COURT ON ITS OWN MOTION V/S STATE OF PUNJAB AND ORS.

Click here to read/download the order