Lawrence Bishnoi: Rajasthan police launches probe into gangster’s jailhouse interview aired on private news channel

The Rajasthan police have lodged a first information report (FIR) against unidentified people in connection with an interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The interview was allegedly held inside Jaipur Central jail and aired on a private news channel in March 2023, Director General of Police Utkal Ranjan Sahoo said on Monday.

According to a report by the Hindustan Times, the FIR was filed in Jaipur based on recent directions from the Punjab and Haryana courts.

The report stated that a special investigation team (SIT) formed by Punjab police had claimed that Bishnoi was in prison when the interview was conducted.

'SIT found that…'

The HT report further stated that not just one but two interviews of Lawrence Bishnoi were aired on March 14 and 16, during which he was in custody.

“Two interviews were aired on March 14 and March 16 last year. SIT found that one of the two interviews was recorded from Jaipur Central Jail… Bishnoi was in prison in connection with a firing case during this period. We have lodged a FIR. The high court has asked the police to submit a copy of the SIT report with all evidence on Friday,” Sahoo said, according to the HT report.

However, after the interviews were aired, the then-Jaipur police commissioner Anand Srivastava claimed Bishnoi did not give any interview when he was in Jaipur.

Lawrence Bishnoi's interview is to be investigated further

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Gandhi Nagar) Narayan Kumar Bajiya said the case will be investigated, and further course of action will be taken based on facts that come up during the investigation.

Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi was brought to Jaipur from Punjab’s Bathinda jail on February 15, 2024, on a production warrant for interrogation in a case of extortion. He was sent to judicial custody in Jaipur jail on March 3, 2023, and taken to Bathinda on March 4 of the same year.

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