The Punjab and Haryana High Court has strongly criticized the incident involving mafia boss Lawrence Bishnoi, who gave an interview to a private TV channel in 2022. In light of this situation, the High Court expressed its displeasure with the Punjab government after reviewing the report submitted by the SIT during the hearing.
Notably, the court found that the Punjab government failed to comply with its August 2024 order. Consequently, it condemned the lack of action against senior officials who permitted Bishnoi’s interview, stating that the government treats junior officers like subordinates.
Furthermore, the court remarked, “Police officers provided electronic devices to criminals and arranged studio-like settings for interviews. This glorifies crime and encourages criminals and their accomplices to commit acts like looting.” As a result, it noted that the Punjab government has victimized junior officers in this incident.
A bench comprising Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Lapita Banerjee pointed out that among the seven suspended officers, only two are gazetted officers; the rest are junior staff. This involvement suggests that police officers exploit criminals and their associates.
Given that this case falls under the Anti-Corruption Act, the court called for a deeper investigation. Thus, it established a three-member committee, led by Chief Human Rights Commissioner Prabodh Kumar, to look into the matter.
In addition, senior court officials have questioned Bishnoi’s failure to provide evidence regarding his interview in the Punjab jail. The court inquired, “Why did Punjab claim there was no interview in the jail? Why haven’t officials involved in this incident faced charges under Section 120-B for criminal conspiracy?”
Moreover, the SIT investigation report confirmed that one of Bishnoi’s interviews, linked to 71 criminal cases, took place while he was incarcerated in Khara Jail in Mohali, and he gave another interview while in Rajasthan jail. Following the SIT’s findings, seven police personnel were suspended.