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Bishnoi gang threatens DGP, Warring, Majithia over Lawrence of Punjab ban
High-level security alert as Centre advises ZEE5 to withhold docuseries following concerns over romanticising organised crime.
Just a day after the Centre formally advised OTT platform ZEE5 to withhold the release of its upcoming docuseries, Lawrence of Punjab, state director general of police Gaurav Yadav, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, and Balkaur Singh, the father of the late Sidhu Moosewala, received death threats.
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has also allegedly targeted Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia, and Punjab’s advocate general, all of whom had opposed the production.
These threats were delivered via foreign WhatsApp numbers, warning the recipients of dire consequences and explicitly threatening their lives, prompting the Punjab Police to launch an immediate investigation.
Earlier this week, Warring filed a public interest litigation in the Punjab and Haryana high court, while DGP Yadav urged the Punjab government to petition the Centre to block the release.
In response, the ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B) issued a letter to ZEE5 on Friday advising against the show’s April 27 premiere.
The Centre’s advisory emphasised that digital platforms must exercise due caution and discretion when producing biopics on criminals, particularly those likely to incite violence or glorify organised crime.
Punjab Police informed the Centre that the series, which uses a mix of dramatised portrayals and real-life footage, risked romanticising gangsterism and undermining ongoing law enforcement efforts. Officials argued that such content could lead to heightened tensions and the commission of cognizable offences, ultimately vitiating the law and order situation in a state already sensitive to these issues.
