The Delhi High Court on Monday disposed of a petition filed by incarcerated gangster Lawrence Bishnoi seeking to block the release of the docuseries ‘Lawrence of Punjab’ on the OTT platform ZEE5. The court observed that the matter had become “infructuous” after the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) issued advisories to the platform against airing the content.
The primary legal issue concerned Lawrence Bishnoi’s plea to prevent the broadcast of a docuseries centered on his life and criminal trajectory. The proceedings were closed by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, who noted that the central government had already intervened by advising ZEE5 not to release the series, citing concerns over public order and the glorification of organized crime.
Lawrence Bishnoi, 33, who is currently lodged in a Gujarat jail and is a key accused in the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala, moved the court against the production titled ‘Lawrence of Punjab’. According to the show’s makers, the series intended to trace “the journey of a criminal identity through the lens of culture, systems, and visibility,” using Bishnoi as a case study in student politics and media amplification.
The legal challenge gained significant weight after the Punjab Police’s cyber crime division wrote to the I&B Ministry. The police argued that such content poses a “significant risk to public order” and could influence the youth to gravitate toward criminal activities. Following these inputs, the Centre issued three advisories on April 23 and 24, directing ZEE5 to refrain from releasing the series.
During the hearing, the senior counsel representing ZEE5 informed the court that the platform is in the process of challenging the Centre’s advisories before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, as the directives were based on inputs from the Punjab Police. The counsel also argued that the Delhi High Court lacked territorial jurisdiction over the matter and that the current petition was no longer maintainable given the Centre’s existing ban.
Bishnoi’s counsel expressed apprehension that the makers might attempt to release the content in a different format, such as by altering character names.
Justice Kaurav observed that as long as the Centre’s advisories remain in effect, the docuseries cannot be released. “Today unless the advisories are set aside, they can’t release,” the court remarked.
Regarding the petitioner’s fear of a modified release, the court stated: “As and when they do something, you can always come back.”
In its final order, the court held:
“The court finds that the cause raised in the writ petition has been rendered infructuous. In view of the advisories, this court finds that respondent may not be possibly releasing the content of ‘Lawrence of Punjab’.”
The court granted Bishnoi the liberty to intervene or take appropriate legal steps if the platform moves to challenge the central advisories. While disposing of the petition, the court left all legal contentions open for future consideration.
