The Punjab government decided to terminate a DSP for allegedly facilitating gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s interview while in custody. The Attorney General (AG) referred to a report by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Special DGP Prabodh Kumar, which highlighted the involvement of certain police officials in the incident. The report revealed connivance among officers, enabling the controversial interview.
The Punjab government informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court of its decision to dismiss Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Gursher Singh in connection with an interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi while he was in police custody.
During the resumed hearing, Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh presented this decision to the division bench of Justices Anupinder Singh Grewal and Lapita Banerji, stating that the dismissal was made under Article 311(2) of the Constitution.
The court was told that a recommendation for this action has been forwarded to the Punjab Public Service Commission.
Read Also: Charges Filed Against Lawrence Bishnoi and 26 Others| Sidhu Moosewala Murder Case
The Advocate General referenced a report from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Special Director General of Police Prabodh Kumar, which indicated that certain police officers had colluded to facilitate Bishnoi’s interview. He also mentioned that department-level actions under Rule 10 of the All India Services Rules have been initiated against senior officers stationed outside Mohali district. The AG committed to providing a list of proposed individuals for a departmental inquiry in a sealed cover at the next court session.
The court was addressing a suo motu matter concerning the use of mobile phones by inmates in Punjab jails. In November, the Punjab government assured the court of strict action against the police officers involved in the interview of Bishnoi, which had been broadcast by a private news channel in March 2022.
The SIT’s report, submitted to the court in July, stated that the interview “tends to glorify crime and criminals” and occurred while Bishnoi was in police custody at Kharar in Mohali district, specifically on the night of September 3-4, 2022. The second interview took place while he was incarcerated in the Central Jail of Jaipur.
In October, seven police officials were suspended due to the interview incident. Bishnoi is one of the suspects in the 2022 murder of popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala.
During the hearing, Amicus Curiae Tanu Bedi highlighted that the court had previously directed the Punjab DGP to submit an affidavit explaining why repeated police remands were requested to keep Bishnoi at the CIA premises for an extended period. The DGP’s affidavit claimed the interview was not conducted in any jail in Punjab, based on information from jail department officials present at a press conference.
However, the court noted that the DGP’s affidavit was unsatisfactory and remarked,
“He appears to be more concerned about the jails in Punjab although the prison department is not under him.”
The court ordered the DGP to file a new affidavit within four weeks. Additionally, the Additional Director General of Police (Prisons), Arun Pal Singh, reported that various measures have been implemented to enhance prison security, including the installation of 467 machines and 620 stands in 17 jails, and the installation of CCTV cameras in seven of the 13 sensitive jails.
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