The Punjab and Haryana High Court has expressed serious concerns over the conduct of prison officials following the televised interview of Lawrence Bishnoi, a suspect in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, from jail. The interview, which was broadcast by ABP News in March, featured Bishnoi admitting knowledge of the murder plot while he was in judicial custody at Bathinda Jail.
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The division bench of Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Kirti Singh, while hearing a suo motu case concerning the use of mobile phones by inmates within jail premises, questioned the lapse in security that allowed such an interview to take place.
“It is a matter of grave concern that a suspect in police or judicial custody has been allowed to conduct an interview at length,”
the bench remarked, emphasizing the need for accountability.
“The officers who permitted or facilitated the interview need to be identified and taken to task at the earliest,”
they added.
The Punjab government informed the court that a two-member committee, including the Special DGP, ST, and the Additional Director General of Police, Prisons, was formed in March 2023 to investigate the incident. However, the court noted with dissatisfaction that
“7 months have elapsed but not much headway has been made.”
In light of the slow progress, the High Court has directed the Additional Director General of Prisons to file an affidavit explaining the delay in the committee’s report. The court’s directive seeks to expedite the inquiry into how Bishnoi, a high-profile inmate, was able to give a televised interview from within the jail’s confines.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on November 28, with Advocate Tanu Bedi appointed as amicus curiae to assist the court. The appearance included Ishma Randhawa, Additional Advocate General for Punjab, Bijender Dhankhar, Additional AG for Haryana, Munish Bansal, PP for UT, Chandigarh, and Sumit Kumar, Advocate for Tanu Bedi, Advocate, amicus curiae.
This incident has raised significant questions about the integrity of prison security measures and the enforcement of regulations prohibiting the use of communication devices by inmates.
