The Punjab government has resolved to terminate a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) over his involvement in an unauthorized media interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi while in police custody. The decision was communicated to the Punjab and Haryana High Court during a resumed hearing on Monday, where Punjab Advocate General (AG) Gurminder Singh presented the government’s stance before a division bench comprising Justices Anupinder Singh Grewal and Lapita Banerji.
DSP Gursher Singh is set to be dismissed under Article 311(2) of the Constitution, a move recommended by the Punjab Public Service Commission. The AG referenced a special investigation team (SIT) report, which exposed the connivance of certain police officials in facilitating Bishnoi’s interview, conducted at the Crime Investigation Agency’s (CIA) premises in Kharar, Mohali.
The AG also noted that departmental actions are being taken against other senior officers under Rule 10 of the All India Services Rules, specifically those who were posted outside Mohali district at the time. The names of officials tasked with the departmental inquiry will be submitted to the court in a sealed envelope during the next hearing.
This court session is part of a broader inquiry into the use of mobile phones by inmates within jail premises across Punjab. Notably, Lawrence Bishnoi, a key figure linked to the 2022 assassination of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, managed to conduct two interviews last year—one while detained in Kharar and another during his time at the Central Jail in Jaipur.
The first interview, aired by a private news channel, raised significant concerns about the glorification of crime and the breach of custodial protocol. Following these revelations, seven police officials were suspended in October.
During the proceedings, Amicus Curiae Tanu Bedi highlighted discrepancies in the management of Bishnoi’s custody, pointing to extended periods of police remand that facilitated these interviews. The court criticized the Punjab DGP for insufficient oversight and ordered a more comprehensive affidavit to be filed regarding the supervision of Bishnoi while in police custody.
