Lawrence Bishnoi TV interview: Punjab & Haryana HC calls for probe by retired judge

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday asked Punjab government to appoint former judge Justice Rajiv Narain Raina as an inquiry officer to probe the police officials who had provided a studio-like facility to jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi for his interview with a news channel. .A Bench of Justices Anupinder Singh Grewal and Lapita Banerji passed the order in a suo motu matter related to inmates' use of mobile phones within jail premises.The Court had earlier expressed dissatisfaction with the action being taken against the delinquent officers."The government shall consider appointing Justice Rajiv Narain Raina, former judge of this Court as the inquiry officer. He shall be provided adequate security and infrastructure by the State government. The competent authority may pass necessary order in this regard expeditiously. Needless to mention that the inquiry officer would be suitably remunerated," the Court ordered..Bishnoi is a suspect in the murder of Punjabi singer Shubdeep Singh Sidhu alias Sidhu Moosewala. His interview was telecast by a news channel in March 2023 while he was under police custody. In the interview with ABP News, he said he knew about the murder plot.The Court had earlier found that the TV interview took place within the premises of CIA Staff Kharar, in the presence of senior officers of the Punjab Police.“The office of the officer-in-charge of the police station was used as a studio to conduct the interview. The official Wi-Fi at the premises of the CIA staff had been provided for conducting the interview which is a pointer towards the criminal conspiracy. The report indicates that roznamcha was also forged and fabricated. The matter calls for further investigation as to for what consideration this was done and the various aspects towards offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act besides other offences need to be examined,” the Court had said in the order passed on October 28. .When the matter was heard again on December 16, the Court was told that the State has decided to dismiss a Deputy Superintendent of Police, who was found involved in the matter. It was also revealed that Bishnoi was kept in the premises of the CIA Staff, Kharar, for a period of five months while he remained in the Bathinda jail only for a period of less than two months..The Court had earlier also asked the DGP to explain his statement in an earlier press conference that the interview had not taken place in any jail in Punjab. On Monday, it rejected his affidavit in this regard. He appears to be more concerned about the jails in Punjab although jail department is not under him, the Bench said."He ought to have enquired as to whether the interview had been conducted while criminal was in police custody as the period of custody of the criminal in jails of Punjab was more than the time spent in the judicial custody. He is directed to explain as to why he did not consider the factum of the said criminal being confined in the premises of the CIA Staff, Kharar, for a long period of time and as to whether the interview, which he had conducted, had been conducted within those premises. He has made reference to categoric finding and he ought to clarify those findings and the basis of the statement made to the media," the Court said while granting him four weeks for the purpose..Advocate Tanu Bedi served as Amicus Curiae in the case. Additional Solicitor General Satyapal Jain and Senior Government Counsel Arun Gosain represented the Union of India.Advocate General Gurminder Singh represented the State of Punjab. Deputy Advocate General Anant Kataria represented the State of Haryana.Public Prosecutor Manish Bansal and Additional Public Prosecutor Rajiv Vij represented the Union Territory of Chandigarh..[Read Order]