Nearly 10 months after the Punjab Police filed cases regarding TV interviews of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, the Punjab Government has taken disciplinary action, suspending seven policemen, including two deputy superintendents of police, citing “dereliction of duty.”
Details of the Suspended Officers
According to orders from the Punjab Home Department issued on Friday, the suspended officers include then DSP (Investigation) Gursher Singh (now with the Punjab Armed Police, Amritsar), DSP Sammar Vaneet from the Mohali Economic Offences Wing (EOW), and Sub-Inspector Reena of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Kharar. Other suspended officers are Anti Gangster Task Force (AGTF) sub-inspectors Jagatpal Jangu and Shaganjit Singh, assistant sub-inspector Mukhtiar Singh (then duty officer), and Head Constable Om Parkash (CIA Kharar night Moharrir).
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Special Investigation Team’s Findings
The suspension order references a report from the Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by Prabodh Kumar, Special Director General of Police (Punjab State Human Rights Commission), which found lapses in duty by the suspended policemen. The report was part of the FIR registered on January 5, 2024, following allegations of security breaches during Bishnoi’s detention.
Background of the TV Interviews
In August, the SIT reported to the Punjab and Haryana High Court that Bishnoi’s first interview was conducted between September 3-4, 2022, at the CIA premises in Kharar, Mohali. A second interview reportedly took place while Bishnoi was in Rajasthan. These interviews were later aired by a private news channel in March 2023. The case involving the second interview was subsequently transferred to Rajasthan for further investigation.
