Witness refuses to identify gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in murder bid case in Chandigarh
A clash took place between two groups of student unions at DAV College, Chandigarh, in 2012
A prosecution witness has refused to identify gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in an attempt-to-murder case registered in Chandigarh 14 years ago. The gangster was produced before the court via videoconferencing from the Ahmedabad jail.
The counsel for the accused, Harish Bhardwaj, said the witness, Navneet Singh, stated in the court that he neither knew nor recognised Bishnoi.
The police had registered the case against Bishnoi and others after a clash took place between two groups of student unions at DAV College, Sector 10, in 2012. It was registered on a statement of Ankit Grover, then BTech student at Chandigarh Engineering College, Landran. He had told the police that he, along with his friends Charandev Singh, Navneet Singh, Arasdeep and Jeevanjot Chahal, went to Panjab University after Jeevanjot Chahal was declared chairman of the Panjab University Student Union (PUSU).
The same day, they went to DAV College, Sector 10, to attend a star night. A group of students, led by Lawrence Bishnoi and Amandeep Singh Multani, had entered from the back gate of the college after breaking the lock and attacked PUSU supporters who were making arrangements for the event to be held in the college.
The accused also opened fire and attacked them with sharp weapons and sticks, injuring several students.
The police had registered the case under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 148 and 149 (rioting), 452 (forcible entry), 323 and 325 (assault) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as under the Arms Act. The trial is now going on only against Lawrence, who was previously declared a proclaimed offender in the case. The court had framed charges in January 2022.
Four other accused Amandeep Singh Multani, Vicky Middukhera (now deceased), Tarsem Singh and Ranjot Singh were acquitted in the case earlier by the local court after the complainant and witnesses turned hostile.
The prosecution has submitted a list of 21 witnesses in the case.
