The Punjab and Haryana High Court has cleared the path for the release of ZEE5’s controversial docuseries, setting aside a previous advisory from the Central government that had blocked its premiere. In a significant ruling on Monday, the court ordered the makers to remove the words “Lawrence” and “Punjab” from the title as a condition for its release.
The decision comes after Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd challenged an advisory from the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which had effectively halted the project.
Justice Jagmohan Bansal, presiding over the bench, quashed the Centre’s advisory after a review of the content. According to the petitioner’s counsel, Amit Jhanji, the series will no longer be titled “Lawrence of Punjab.” By stripping the specific names from the branding, the court aims to mitigate concerns regarding the glorification of organized crime while allowing the documentary content to be aired.
The court reached its decision after personally viewing the docuseries, observing that the production did not appear to glorify any specific individual.
The legal battle began last month when the Centre issued an advisory against the release, originally scheduled for April 27. The move was prompted by the Punjab Police, who expressed grave apprehensions that the series—allegedly based on the life of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi—posed a “significant risk to public order.”
During the proceedings, Punjab Advocate General M S Bedi argued strongly against the release. He contended that such content has the potential to normalize organized crime and negatively influence the state’s youth. To highlight the sensitivity of the issue, the state submitted that it had already removed more than 2,600 videos and social media posts found to be glorifying “gangster culture.”
The Punjab Police had previously informed the Centre that the series utilized dramatized portrayals and real-life footage that could amplify the reach of criminal elements. In response, the Ministry had advised OTT platforms to exercise “due caution and discretion” when producing biopics or documentaries on criminals, citing the potential to incite violence.
However, the makers of the series have maintained that the project is an analytical case study rather than a tribute. They described the show as a look at “the journey of a criminal identity through the lens of culture, systems and visibility,” examining the intersection of student politics, ideology, and media amplification.
With the High Court’s directive to rename the series now in place, the production is expected to move toward a new release date on the ZEE5 platform.
