Knew about the murder plot: Lawrence Bishnoi jail interview goes viral; BJP leaders target Punjab govt

Hours after gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's interview by a TV news channel was aired purportedly from inside Bathinda jail, the Punjab Prisons department on Tuesday said the interview was not recorded inside any jail in the state.

In a 57-minute+ interview conducted by ABP Sanjha, Lawrence Bishnoi talked in detail about the popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Mossewala murder case and other cases in which he was allegedly involved. When asked how he could contact the channel from inside the prison, Bishnoi said he used loopholes in the prison system to access the mobile phones.

For the unversed, Sidhu Moosewala, was shot dead by six people in Mansa district on May 29, 2022. The incident took place a day after his security was curtailed by the Punjab Police.

Punjab Prison department refutes claim

Refuting the claims, Punjab Prisons department 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 doing rounds that the interview was recorded from inside Bathinda Jail. This is to clarify that the rumours are baseless and that this video is neither from Bathinda jail where the prisoner is currently confined nor from any other jail in Punjab.,'' the Prison department said in a statement.

"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," the department further said.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders questioned the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government and the state police asking how jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi could give an interview while being in prison.

Taking to Twitter, the Vice President of BJP's Punjab unit, Arvind Khanna, wrote,''If this interview is given from a Punjab Jail... @AapPunjab Govt must clarify how come Gangsters have access to mobile phones & are free to connect with media. There was a News of Gangsters involved in Gang-Wars in Punjab's Jails and it makes all of us worry for the law & order situation in the state.''

Delhi BJP Secretary Impreet Singh Bakshi demanded clarification from Punjab Police and CM Bhagwant Mann and wrote,''What is "Rule of Law" in this banana republic???.''