Supreme Court Rejects Lawrence Bishnoi’s Plea Against FIR Over Jail Interview

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s petition challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s order to register an FIR and investigate his interviews with a TV channel conducted from jail.

Bishnoi, an accused in the May 2022 murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala, had given two controversial interviews in March last year while in high-security Bathinda jail, now he is in Sabarmati Jail, Gujarat.

A Bench led by Justice Bela M Trivedi stressed the need for investigation, noting the 73 cases against Bishnoi. Bishnoi’s counsel argued he was not given a fair hearing by the high court, which had ordered an FIR and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe, led by IPS officer Prabodh Kumar, into the jail interviews and alleged use of mobile phones by inmates.

The Supreme Court advised Bishnoi to approach the high court for further proceedings. The high court had initiated the FIR and SIT probe suo motu in December 2023 after the news channel aired Bishnoi’s interviews, sparking controversy over prison security.