Bring gangster Lawrence Bishnoi from Ajmer jail: Court

Balwant Garg

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Tribune News Service

Faridkot, April 23

Setting aside gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s apprehension that he may be killed in a fake encounter during transit to Faridkot on production warrant, the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court here has asked the police to bring him from the Ajmer jail in connection with the killing of a youth Congress leader.

Bishnoi is one of the accused in the murder of District Youth Congress president Gurlal Singh Pehlwan on February 18. Bishnoi had recently moved an application in the court, opposing his production warrant, fearing a fake encounter.

Dismissing the plea, CJM Sanjeev Kundi observed there was no reason to distrust the police and it should make formal arrest of the accused and make him join investigation in the case.

In such cases of serious nature, when direct evidence was not easily available or the modus operandi of the commission of the offence was such that there were certain hidden facts that needed to be brought to the fore, custodial interrogation of the accused by the police was necessary as Bishnoi was accused of playing a role in the crime at the back stage, observed the court.

Opposing his production warrant, Bishnoi relied on Supreme Court’s February 4 order staying permission for Bishnoi’s custody to the Haryana and Chandigarh Police.

Denying relief to Bishnoi on the basis of the SC order, the CJM order said the present incident occurred on February 18, but the SC stayed permission for his custody to Haryana and Chandigarh Police on February 4, so the SC’s order did not operate as stay of proceedings in the present case.

Counsel for accused Bishnoi argued there was no reliable evidence with the police to connect him with the murder. To save real culprits, the police wanted to eliminate Bishnoi in a fake encounter, he alleged.

However, the police claimed Bishnoi along with Goldy Brar of Canada had taken responsibility for the killing through a Facebook post.

Bishnoi remained at the back stage and masterminded the murder, so his interrogation was urgently required to unearth the conspiracy and motive of elimination of Pehlwan, the police maintained.