The Supreme Court has raised questions about how a journalist was allowed to enter jail and interview alleged gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, while hearing a case related to dismissed Punjab DSP Gursher Singh Sandhu.
Sandhu approached the Supreme Court to cancel the legal action against him over the interview, but the court asked him to go to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which is already hearing the case on July 3.
The judges wondered how the reporter got access to jail. Sandhu’s lawyer said the journalist who recorded the interview got court protection, but Sandhu was being unfairly targeted. He also said Sandhu never spoke to Bishnoi and was not named in the FIR.
However, the court noted that Sandhu was in charge the night before the interview was recorded.
Lawrence Bishnoi, who is accused in the 2022 murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala, gave two interviews to a news channel while in jail. One was recorded through a video call from Bathinda jail, and the other from a Rajasthan jail. This led to concerns over the use of mobile phones by inmates.
In December 2023, the High Court ordered an investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) after taking notice of mobile phones being used in jail. The SIT found that the first interview happened on the night of September 3–4, 2022, while Bishnoi was in police custody.
The Punjab government suspended seven police officers, including Sandhu, and launched a departmental inquiry. In November 2024, the High Court noted that some police officers not only allowed mobile phones inside jail but also arranged a studio-like setup for the interview.
The case continues, with the High Court still investigating the matter.
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