Lawrence Bishnoi interview: Sacked DSP Gursher Singh Sandhu seeks impleadment in 2023 PIL
Gursher Singh Sandhu, a 2016-batch DSP, now sacked, has claimed that he has been made a “scapegoat” as no other officials, including the senior superintendent of police, had been given any such punishment
The Punjab and Haryana high court has sought response from the Punjab government on a plea moved by sacked deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Gursher Singh Sandhu, seeking his impleadment as party to a 2023 public interest litigation (PIL) initiated by the high court after interviews of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi were telecast by a private channel.

Sandhu, a 2016-batch DSP, was dismissed by the Punjab government on January 2 for allegedly facilitating the recording of Bishnoi’s interview in police custody in September 2022, when the gangster was in Kharar CIA facility. In March 2023, a private news channel aired two interviews of Bishnoi. The second one was later found to be recorded in Rajasthan. He was dismissed from service by invoking powers under Article 311 (2) (b).
Sandhu has claimed that he has been made a “scapegoat” as no other officials, including the senior superintendent of police, had been given any such punishment. His counsel, senior advocate, Sanjay Kaushal had submitted before the court that the gangster remained in overall custody of the Anti-Gangster Task Force, whose officials were never attributed any role by the SIT while the petitioner was punished. He also claimed threat to his life and alleged that he could either be eliminated or embroiled in some controversy. Hence, the “intervener application” should also be allowed.
The bench of justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and justice Lapita Banerji has sought response from the Punjab government by February 19.
The controversy is about two interviews of the gangster telecast on March 14 and March 17, 2023, when he was in Bathinda jail. The Punjab Police had initially denied that these interviews took place within the state. Later, an SIT probe found that one of the interviews was conducted at Punjab Police facility in Kharar on the intervening night of September 3 and 4 in 2022 and the second interview was conducted in Rajasthan. The FIR in the second interview’s case has now been transferred to Rajasthan.
Following the alleged indictment of Sandhu by the SIT, he was terminated from service on January 2, an order, which he has challenged before high court in another petition.
Court to examine appointment of new SIT head on Jan 28
Meanwhile, the high court said that it would examine the issue of appointment of SIT head on January 28. The court’s order came in view of present SIT head, Prabodh Kumar submitting that he would superannuate on January 31 and amicus curiae stating that he should be allowed to continue as SIT chief. However, Punjab AG Gurminder Singh had differed with it and submitted that another officer could be appointed in his place. Kumar-led SIT is probing the FIR registered to probe the element of criminality in the interview episode. Departmental proceedings probe is being conducted by a retired high court judge, justice RN Raina (retd).
