Delhi HC dismisses gangster Bishnoi's petition against 'Lawrence of Punjab'
What's the story
The Delhi High Court has disposed of a petition by gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who sought to prevent the release of ZEE5's docuseries Lawrence of Punjab. The court noted that the matter was no longer relevant because the central government had already advised ZEE5 not to release the series. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav said that unless these advisories were overturned, the makers might not be able to release it.
Legal options
HC suggested Bishnoi's counsel take legal action later, if required
Despite the court's disposing of the petition, it suggested that Bishnoi's counsel could take appropriate legal action if the docuseries was released in a different form. Justice Kaurav said, "As and when they do something, you can always come back. Today unless the advisories are set aside, they can't release," adding that liberty was granted to intervene or take any other step in challenging these advisories at their instance.
Legal proceedings
ZEE5 challenging Centre's advisories
The senior counsel for ZEE5 informed the court that they were challenging the Centre's three advisories, issued on April 23 and April 24. He also argued that the present plea was not maintainable before the court as it lacked territorial jurisdiction over the issue. The lawyer said they were in the process of challenging these advisories in the Punjab and Haryana High Court based on inputs from the Punjab Police.
Public order risk
Punjab Police urged Centre to stop docuseries
Earlier, the Punjab Police had written to the Centre, urging it to direct ZEE5 not to air the docuseries on Bishnoi. They argued that its release posed a significant risk to public order. The cybercrime division of Punjab Police also warned that such content could influence and draw youth toward criminal or gangster-related activities.
Series overview
What is 'Lawrence of Punjab' about?
The makers of Lawrence of Punjab have described the show as tracing "the journey of a criminal identity through the lens of culture, systems, and visibility." It treats Bishnoi as a case study in the ecosystem of student politics, music, ideology, and media amplification. Bishnoi is currently lodged in a Gujarat jail and is one of the main accused in singer Sidhu Moosewala's murder case.