Was there spurt in crime after Lawrence Bishnoi TV interview? Punjab and Haryana High Court seeks data

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) to submit data on the criminal cases registered after gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s interview with a television channel was broadcast last year [Court on its Own Motion vs State of Punjab and Others]..Bishnoi, who is involved in over 70 cases in Punjab, is also a suspect in the murder of Punjabi singer Shubdeep Singh Sidhu alias Sidhu Moosewala and his interview was telecast by a news channel in March last year. In the interview with ABP News, he had said he knew about the murder plot.The division bench of Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Lapita Banerji expressed worry after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) said one of the interviews was conducted in September 2022 when Bishnoi was in the premises of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) of Punjab Police. .Earlier, a State-constituted Committee had given an inconclusive report that it was highly improbable that the interview was conducted in jail or police custody in Punjab.The bench said if the State Committee’s attempt was to hoodwink the Court or misdirect the judicial proceedings, it would be a serious matter and would be considered at an appropriate stage.It further stressed that the investigation conducted by the SIT, which was constituted by the Court in December 2023, should not be confined to the lower-level officials to protect higher officers.“We hasten to add that the Punjab Police is one of the best police force in the Country but it needs to be insulated from extraneous influence. The black sheep has to be identified and brought to the book at the earliest,” the bench said..The Court was hearing a suo motu matter related to use of mobile phones within the jail premises by inmates. In December last year, the Court had expressed concern over Bishnoi’s interview and said it could have an adverse impact on youngsters with impressionable minds.It had also said that Bishnoi’s attempt to project his persona as larger than life could influence the witnesses. On Thursday, the Court reiterated that there could have been a spurt in crime after the interview was telecast.“We, therefore, direct the Director General of Police, Punjab 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 ordered..The Court was also told that the second interview was conducted when Bishnoi was in Rajasthan. Amicus Curiae Tanu Bedi told the Court that she would file an application to implead the State of Rajasthan. Meanwhile, the Court directed the Punjab government to file an affidavit on the progress made in augmenting the jail security including installation of jammers, CCTV cameras, X-ray body scanners and increase in manpower. The matter is next listed on September 5..Advocate Tanu Bedi is amicus curiae in the case and appeared along with advocate Pooja Dahiya.Senior Government Counsel Arun Gosain represented the Union of India.Senior Deputy Advocate General Aftab Singh Khara represented the Punjab government. Additional Advocate General Ashish Yadav represented the State of Haryana.Public Prosecutor Munish Bansal and Additional Public Prosecutor Rajiv Vij represented the Union Territory of Chandigarh.Advocate Gourave Bhayyia Gilhotra and Vishwajeet Singh represented an applicant..[Read Order]