7 police officers suspended for interviewing Lawrence Bishnoi in jail
The Punjab government has suspended seven police officers and personnel over unauthorized interviews conducted with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi from jail. This action followed orders from the Punjab-Haryana High Court, sparked by the viral release of two interviews with Bishnoi.
According to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) report, Bishnoi’s first interview occurred on September 3 and 4, 2022, when he was held at the CIA in Kharar, Punjab, and the second took place at the Central Jail in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
In the first interview, aired on March 14, 2023, Bishnoi admitted to ordering the killing of singer Sidhu Moosewala, claiming Moosewala had involved himself in gang conflicts.
This revelation raised significant questions about the Punjab Police’s involvement, especially after Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav initially denied that the interview was conducted in any Punjab jail.
However, the investigation confirmed that Bishnoi’s interview did indeed take place in Kharar.
Responding to the High Court’s directive, Punjab Principal Secretary for Home Affairs Gurkirat Kripal Singh issued suspension orders on Friday night.
The officers suspended include DSP Gursher Singh (Amritsar), DSP Samar Vaneet, Sub Inspector Reena (CIA Kharar), Sub Inspector Jagatpal Jangu and Sub Inspector Shaganjit Singh (AGTF), ASI Mukhtiar Singh, and Head Constable Om Prakash.
The Punjab government will now submit an official report to the High Court detailing the actions taken in response to this incident.
