Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi gives TV interview from jail; Punjab govt, cops say not from our prison

Bishnoi is currently lodged in Bathinda jail. He returned to Punjab a few days ago from Rajasthan where he was taken for questioning last month in connection with a firing and extortion case registered in January. However, the location of Bishnoi while appearing in the interview in a yellow T-shirt was not clear. Soon after the interview was aired, Punjab government issued a press release, categorically stating that video was not from either Bathinda jail or from any other jail in Punjab.

An official spokesperson said, “It has come to notice that a private TV news channel has aired an interview of prisoner Lawrence Bishnoi purportedly from inside a jail. Rumours are that the interview was recorded from inside Bathinda Jail. This is to clarify that the rumours are baseless and that this video is not from either Bathinda Jail where the prisoner is currently confined or from any other jail in Punjab. It is further clarified that this prisoner is at present confined in the high security zone of Bathinda Jail where strict surveillance is kept over his activities 24×7. If anyone is caught spreading fake news maligning the image of Punjab Prisons administration, action as per law shall be initiated”.

Bathinda Jail Superintendent N D Negi too said that the video was neither from Bathinda jail nor of any other jail of the state. He said jammers in place at Bathinda jail did not let phones work and hence there was no possibility of any interview from inside the jail.

Punjab Anti-Gangsters Task Force (AGTF) Assistant Inspector General Sandeep Goel, said: “This is not from Bathinda jail or any Punjab jail or Punjab Police custody. Bathinda jail, where he is lodged, is high security dead phone zone”.

Reached for his reaction on the claims made in the interview, Moosewala’s father Balkaur Singh, said, “I will not talk about that right now. I have just listened. I will see it again. I will clear everything. I will clear everything on [Sidhu Moosewala’s death] anniversary”.

Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead last May.

Asked specifically about Bishnoi’s allegations that a person got murdered at the hands of Moosewala and someone else claimed responsibility for that, Balkaur said, “I will clear everything, murder [allegation] thing also on anniversary.”

On Bishnoi’s claim that Moosewla was closely associated with Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, the latter said, that the singer was “with the Congress party” and was “my acquaintance”. He added that it is not possible that action could be stalled under any influence in a murder case. “Vicky Midukhera was like my younger brother, I attended his cremation and bhog,” said Warring.