Punjab govt to fire DSP for role in Lawrence Bishnoi's interview in custody

Chandigarh: The Punjab government on Monday informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it has decided to dismiss a deputy superintendent of police from service in connection with an interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi while in police custody.

During a resumed hearing, Punjab Advocate General (AG) Gurminder Singh submitted before the division bench of justices Anupinder Singh Grewal and Lapita Banerji that taking a serious view of the matter, Punjab government has decided to dismiss Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Gursher Singh by invoking powers under Article 311(2) of the Constitution.

A recommendation to this effect has been made to the Punjab Public Service Commission for further action, the court was told.

The AG cited a report of the special investigation team (SIT) led by Special Director General of Police Prabodh Kumar, which indicated connivance of certain police officers in facilitating the interview of Bishnoi.

The AG also submitted that department-level action has been initiated under Rule 10 of the All India Services Rules against senior officers, who have been posted outside Mohali district.

Singh further submitted that he shall submit a list of proposed names who would conduct the department inquiry in a sealed cover to the court on the next date.

The court was hearing suo motu a matter related to the use of mobile phones by inmates on jail premises in Punjab.

During the hearing in November, the Punjab government had assured the high court that it would take strict action against the delinquent police officers in connection with the interview of Bishnoi while in police custody.

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

An SIT of Punjab Police in its report submitted to the high court in July found that an interview of Bishnoi that "tends to glorify crime and criminals" was conducted when the dreaded gangster was in Punjab Police's custody at Kharar in Mohali district.

The interview was conducted on Crime Investigation Agency's (CIA) premises in Kharar, which falls in the jurisdiction of SAS Nagar, Mohali, on the intervening night of September 3-4 in 2022.

The second interview was conducted when the gangster was lodged in the Central Jail in Jaipur.

In October, seven police officials were suspended in connection with Bishnoi’s interview.

Bishnoi is one of the accused in the 2022 killing of popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala.

During the hearing on Monday, Amicus Curiae Tanu Bedi pointed out that the court earlier directed the Punjab DGP to file an affidavit as to why repeated police remands were obtained to keep the criminal in the CIA premises for a long period of time.

The DGP was also asked to disclose on what basis he made a statement in the media that the interview had not been conducted in any jail in the state.

"The DGP in his affidavit said the statement was made on the basis of information provided by the officers of the jail department who were present in the press conference. It is manifest from the affidavit filed by the DGP that the said criminal was in the premises of the CIA, Kharar, for a period of five months and at the Bathinda jail only for a period of less than two months," the order said.

Noting that the affidavit of the DGP was not satisfactory, the court said, "He appears to be more concerned about the jails in Punjab although the prison department is not under him. He ought to have inquired as to whether the interview had been conducted while the 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." The court also asked the DGP to file a fresh affidavit within a period of four weeks.

Additional Director General of Police (Prisons), Arun Pal Singh, informed the court that several measures have been taken to augment prison security.

A prison inmate calling system has been augmented, while 467 machines and 620 stands have been installed in 17 jails. CCTV cameras are also being installed in seven out of 13 sensitive jails, while cameras would be put up in six more jails, the court was informed.