High court rebukes Punjab police over gangster Lawrence’s jail interview, orders fresh probe

Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has sharply criticized the Punjab Police for allowing gangster Lawrence to give a televised interview from inside jail.

The court, on Wednesday, questioned the police’s role in facilitating the interview, noting that a senior officer’s office was used as a studio, and Wi-Fi was provided to enable the broadcast.

The court argued that such actions could glorify crime and warrant further investigation.

The court has ordered the formation of a new Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine potential links between the police and the gangster, citing concerns about possible bribery.

The division bench, led by Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Lapita Banerjee, issued these directions after reviewing a report from Special DGP Prabodh Kumar, head of the initial SIT, who claimed there was little left to investigate.

The report revealed that two interviews with Lawrence went viral. The first interview occurred on September 3-4, 2023, when Lawrence was held at the Kharar police station in Punjab, and the second took place at Jaipur Central Jail in Rajasthan.

The court criticized the Punjab government for targeting lower-level officers as scapegoats and urged accountability at all levels.

Following the court’s directives, the Punjab Police has taken action against several officers involved in facilitating the interviews, including DSP Gursher Singh, DSP Samar Vanith, SI Reena, SI Jagatpal Jangoo, SI Shaganjit Singh, ASI Mukhtyar Singh, and Head Constable Om Prakash.