Lawrence Bishnoi interview: Seven Punjab Police personnel suspended

Lawrence Bishnoi. File Pic

The Punjab Police has suspended seven personnel, including two deputy superintendent rank officers, in connection with an interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi while in police custody, reported news agency PTI.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police, led by the special director general of police (human rights), found that one Lawrence Bishnoi interview was conducted when he was in Punjab Police's custody in Mohali's Kharar while the second was done in Rajasthan, reported PTI.

The suspension came after the SIT found dereliction of duty on the part of the seven personnel.

According to an order of the Punjab home secretary issued on Friday, SP Gursher Singh Sandhu, DSP Sammar Vaneet, sub-inspector Reena (CIA Kharar), sub-inspector Jagatpal Jangu, sub-inspector Shaganjit Singh, assistant sub-inspector Mukhtiar Singh and head constable Om Parkash have been suspended, reported PTI.

"Keeping in view the sensitivity of the case, all the above officers have been suspended," said the order, reported PTI.

The order read, "In pursuance of the orders passed on 21.12.2023, Shri Prabodh Kumar, I.P.S. Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed under the leadership of the Special Director General of Police, Punjab State Human Rights Commission. Apple FIR No. 01 Bhadi 05.01.2024 A/P 384, 201, 202, 506, 116 Bhadi 120 Ghee, Bhaspti. Was. m. Section 46 of The Prisons Act, 1894 (later replaced with Section 52A(1) of The Prisons (Punjab Amendment) Act, 2011), Pulim Matemath Matet Karayam, S.A.S. The report was presented in the city. According to it, on the night of 03-04.09.2022, accused Lawrence Bishnoi, lodged under the reference of CIA, Kharar, gave an interview through video conference to a shared TV channel."

The SIT report identified several officers for negligence in their duties related to the incident involving gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's interview from prison. Those named include Gursher Singh, PPS, DSP of the 9th PAP in Amritsar, who was the then DSP (Investigations) in SAS Nagar, and Sammer Vaneet, PPS, DSP of the Economic Offences Wing in SAS Nagar.

Additionally, Sub Inspector Reena from the CIA in Kharar, Sub Inspectors Jagatpal Jangu and Shaganjit Singh from the Anti-Gangster Task Force, ASI Mukhtiar Singh, the then Duty Officer, and Head Constable Om Parkash, the then Night MHC of the CIA in Kharar, were also cited in the report for their roles in the matter.

The home secretary's order referred to the SIT report which found that Lawrence Bishnoi interview, aired on a private TV channel, was conducted through video conference on the intervening night of September 3 and 4 2022, reported PTI.

In March last year, a private news channel ran two interviews of Bishnoi.

The first Lawrence Bishnoi interview was conducted on the premises of CIA (crime investigating agency) staff, Kharar which falls in the jurisdiction of SAS Nagar, Mohali.

The second Lawrence Bishnoi interview was conducted when Bishnoi was lodged in Central Jail in Jaipur, according to the probe by the SIT, which submitted its report to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in July in a suo motu matter related to the use of mobile phones by inmates on jail premises.

Bishnoi is one of the accused in the 2022 murder case of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala.

(With inputs from PTI)