Punjab-Haryana High Court halts Mohali trial in Lawrence Bishnoi jail interview case, questions police over cancellation report

The Punjab-Haryana High Court has taken serious note of the Punjab Police’s decision to file a cancellation report before the Mohali Trial Court in the case related to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s jail interview, calling it a violation of judicial protocol.

A division bench expressed surprise over how the police submitted a cancellation report in the trial court when the case was already under the supervision of a special investigation team (SIT) constituted by the High Court. “When this court had formed an SIT and reports were being regularly submitted before us, how could the cancellation report be filed in the trial court without informing us?” the bench observed.

The court has now stayed proceedings in the Mohali Trial Court until further orders and directed that the future course of investigation and any disciplinary action will be decided by the High Court itself during the next hearing on October 28.

The case concerns the controversial interview of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, which surfaced on social media and news outlets earlier this year, raising questions about security lapses and media access inside Punjab prisons.

Legal experts say the High Court’s move underscores growing judicial scrutiny over Punjab Police’s handling of high-profile criminal cases, particularly those linked to organized crime and custodial protocol.