Lawrence Bishnoi interview: Court urged to dismiss cops’ plea against polygraph test
The public prosecutor, opposing the revision petition of the cops in the court of additional district judge (ADJ) TPS Randhawa, averred that being a sensitive case, polygraph test would help clear many important facts in the case. The court will decide the pleas on Tuesday.
Punjab Police on Monday requested a local court to dismiss the revision plea of the five cops who withdrew their consent to undergo polygraph test in connection with the controversial interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi while he was in police custody in September 2022.
The public prosecutor, opposing the revision petition of the cops in the court of additional district judge (ADJ) TPS Randhawa, averred that being a sensitive case, polygraph test would help clear many important facts in the case. The court will decide the pleas on Tuesday.
On April 24, a court had stayed the April 16 order of a judicial magistrate first class (JMIC) court allowing the polygraph test of six Mohali-based police officials.
The counsel for the five cops submitted revision pleas stating that they had withdrawn their consent for a polygraph test. The counsel contended that a senior IPS officer of ADGP rank was present in the court so his clients gave consent for a polygraph test under duress. Moreover, the cops were not accompanied by any lawyer at the time of recording their consent, the counsel stated.
Earlier, a probe by the special investigation team (SIT) of the Punjab Police had found that one of the interviews of the gangster was conducted at the CIA facility in Kharar, Mohali, and the second was recorded in Rajasthan.
Following the SIT probe, the Punjab home secretary issued an order on October 25, 2024, suspending DSP Gursher Singh Sandhu, DSP Sammar Vaneet, sub-inspectors Reena, Jagatpal Jangu and Shaganjit Singh, ASI Mukhtiar Singh and head constable Om Parkash. On January 2 this year, the Punjab government dismissed DSP Gursher Singh Sandhu, a 2016-batch officer—for allegedly facilitating the interview. The interview was telecast in March 2023.
The case under Sections 384, 201, 202, 506, 116, 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 52-A(1) of The Prisons (Punjab Amendment) Act, 2011, was registered at the Punjab State Crime police station, Phase 4, Mohali.
The six personnel — ASI Mukhtiar Singh, constables Simranjit Singh, Harpreet Singh, Balwinder Singh, Satnam Singh and Amritpal Singh — who were posted with the crime investigation agency (CIA), Mohali, at the time of the interview, had earlier agreed to undergo the polygraph test.
