Lookout notice was issued before sacked DSP’s suspension
A lookout circular (LOC) against dismissed DSP Gursher Singh Sandhu, who allegedly facilitated Lawrence Bishnoi’s in-custody interview, was opened on October 21 last year — four days before he was suspended.
A copy of the LOC procured by The Tribune states the Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs, had opened the LOC on the recommendation of the state government.
The DSP was sacked by the state government on January 2. The dismissal order stated that the DSP was avoiding to receive the chargesheet for allegedly facilitating Bishnoi’s interview.
Media reports said Gursher had probably fled abroad fearing arrest in the case. Senior Punjab Police officials, wishing anonymity, said they could neither deny nor confirm if the dismissed cop was in the country or abroad. “As per our information, he is missing,” a senior official said.
The DSP was posted with the 9th Battallion of the Punjab Armed Police, Amritsar, when he was suspended on October 25. He had not reported for duty for some days.
Police sources well-versed with the procedure of opening the LOC stated that it is opened when there are strong chances that the person involved can flee abroad. “There is a possibility that he fled the country before the LOC was opened, but there is no evidence of it,” said a senior police official.
The alleged involvement of the DSP and six other cops in the Bishnoi interview had severely embarrassed the Police Department. The department had already faced criticism for failure to trace fugitive and dismissed cop Raj Jit Singh.
The dismissal orders stated that the DSP ‘dented the image of the Police Department’ by facilitating a video-interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi when he was in the custody of the Central Investigation Agency (CIA) at Kharar in March 2023.
Notably, Lawrence Bishnoi is the prime conspirator in the Sidhu Moosewala case. Besides, he is facing more than 80 other police cases of murder, extortion and other crimes.
Six other Punjab Police officials, including a DSP, were suspended, pending further action, for allegedly facilitating the interview in police custody. They have been served show-cause notice. Action is awaited against cops above the rank of DSP, who either failed to check the conduct of the interview or may have been party to it.
The interview had created a furore as it was conducted close to the first bhog ceremony of the slain singer. The High Court has banned publishing the contents of the interview.
