Court refuses fresh warrant for gangster Lawrence Bishnoi

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, March 23

The Faridkot police are facing a tough time getting the custody of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi for questioning in connection with the killing of Youth Congress leader Gurlal Singh Pehlwan here.

The court of Judicial Magistrate here today issued directions not to issue a production warrant for Bishnoi for the time being. Bishnoi, who faces 19 criminal cases in Punjab and Haryana, is currently lodged in the Ajmer jail.

The police had nominated Bishnoi as an accused in the murder case of Pehlwan, District Youth Congress president and zila parishad member here last month. For the past two weeks, the police have been unsuccessfully trying to bring Bishnoi on a production warrant from Ajmer for questioning.

On Tuesday, when the police sought a fresh warrant, the court issued directions not to issue one in view of a Supreme Court order.Last year, fearing threat to life by way of encounter, gangster Lawrence Bishnoi had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, challenging a move by Haryana and Chandigarh police to bring him on production warrant from Ajmer jail in two criminal cases.

The HC had issued directions that the entire operation to bring Bishnoi from Rajasthan was to be supervised by a DIG-rank officer and he be shifted in a bullet-proof or armoured vehicle escorted by armed commandos. The court had directed Bishnoi be handcuffed and shackled during transit to minimise chance of an escape.

However, Bishnoi challenged the HC order in the Supreme Court and on February 4, the apex court stayed the order. Relying on the SC order, counsel for Bishnoi opposed the production warrant in Faridkot.

The local court has asked the prosecution and police to file reply on April 7 in view of the SC orders for Bishnoi’s production warrants.

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