Lawrence Bishnoi interview in custody: Punjab and Haryana HC summons ADGP prisons over slow pace of investigation
The Punjab and Haryana High Court expressed dismay at the slow progress in investigating the Lawrence Bishnoi interview in custody case and has summoned the Additional Director General of Prisons, Punjab, on December 14 to provide an explanation reported a National media agency.
During Tuesday’s hearing, the State of Punjab submitted affidavits through the Additional Director General of Prisons, Punjab.
Ishma Randhawa, Additional AG Punjab, while referring to the affidavits, submitted that efforts are on to stop the smuggling of mobile phones in the jails as well as their usage by the inmates. The Additional AG also submitted that the Committee, which had been constituted to enquire into the incident of the recording and telecast of an interview by the suspect namely, Lawrence Bishnoi, would require some more time to submit its report.
However, Tanu Bedi, acting as Amicus Curiae, raised concerns about the timeframe identified in the affidavits submitted by the Additional Director General of Police, Prisons, Punjab. Bedi noted that since the committee had narrowed down the potential period of the second interview between February 26, 2023, and March 17, 2023, it should not be difficult for it to find out where it was conducted.
The division bench of Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Kirti Singh on hearing the matter stated that “the Committee had been constituted on March 29, 2023, to enquire into the recording and telecast of the interview by a suspect in judicial/police custody. He was stated to be in judicial custody when the interview was telecast. Even after 8 months, the report has not been submitted by the Committee. We are not satisfied with the progress in the enquiry and the explanation being offered for the delay in its conclusion. We, therefore, direct the Additional Director General, Prisons, Punjab, to be present in Court on the next date of hearing to explain as to why the report has not been submitted till date. He would also apprise the Court about the measures taken by the Jail authorities to stop the usage of mobile phone by the jail inmates and the calls for extortion.”
The HC has taken the suo motu notice about the use of mobile phones within the jail premises by the inmates and asked the Punjab police about the steps it is taking to curb the entry of such prohibited items.
The Single Bench had said, “How are the guards posted at the watch towers oblivious to the articles being thrown over the boundary wall and successfully being retrieved by the inmates…How and when are the inmates rotated amongst the cells which have TVs and the ones without such a provision as has been stated and moreover when was the present petitioner (Lawrence Bishnoi) moved to such a cell along with the other inmates as seen in the video, and are all inmates are regularly frisked after every Court hearing and after the physical mulakats”.
