The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has intervened to stop the release of ‘Lawrence of Punjab,’ a high-profile docuseries centered on incarcerated gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The series was scheduled to premiere on the OTT platform Zee5 on April 27.
The development was revealed before the Delhi High Court on Friday during a hearing presided over by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav. The court was considering a petition filed by Bishnoi himself, who sought to block the release of the series.
During the proceedings, counsel representing Zee5 informed the court that the central government had issued a formal advisory just hours prior.
“MIB has now issued an advisory advising us not to go ahead with the release. MIB has issued an advisory at 12 o’clock asking us not to release,” the platform’s counsel stated.
Following this submission, Justice Kaurav deferred the hearing on Bishnoi’s petition until Monday, allowing the court to assess the situation in light of the government’s directive.
The central government’s move follows a strong recommendation from the Punjab Police. The Cyber Crime Division of the Punjab Police had recently written to the MIB Joint Secretary, urging the ministry to direct Zee5 to refrain from airing the content.
The police cited “significant risk to public order” as the primary reason for their objection. Authorities expressed concern that the docuseries could glamorize criminal life, stating that the availability of such content “increases the risk of youth being influenced and drawn towards criminal or gangster-related activities.”
According to Zee5 and the show’s creators, ‘Lawrence of Punjab’ was intended to be an analytical look at the rise of criminal identities. The platform described the series as a “case study” exploring the ecosystem of student politics, the music industry, ideology, and the role of media amplification in creating visibility for criminals.
Lawrence Bishnoi, 33, is currently held in a Gujarat jail. He is a primary accused in several high-profile criminal cases, most notably the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala.
The High Court will resume the matter on Monday to determine the next steps regarding the petition and the government’s advisory.
