Bishnoi interview: SIT to name sacked DSP Gursher in FIR
The dismissed DSP, according to people familiar with the matter, might have left the country; according to an SIT member, procedures to nominate Gursher has started as the SIT has found him to be the main conspirator in facilitating the TV interview
A day after the Punjab government dismissed deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Gursher Singh from service for allegedly facilitating the recording of an interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in police custody, the special investigation team (SIT) probing the case is in the process to nominate him in a first information report (FIR).
In March 2023, a private news channel aired two interviews of Bishnoi. According to the dismissal order, the SIT constituted by the Punjab and Haryana high court concluded that Gursher, a Punjab Police Service (PPS) officer, facilitated the recording of the interview by a TV channel while he was in the custody of CIA, Kharar.
The dismissed DSP, according to people familiar with the matter, might have left the country. According to an SIT member, procedures to nominate Gursher has started as the SIT has found him to be the main conspirator in facilitating the TV interview.
The move of the dismissed DSP not to accept the summons for the chargesheet and Punjab director general of police’s findings that Gursher was guilty of dereliction of duty are enough to nominated him in the case, said an official privy to the development.
The SIT is learnt to have sought opinion from the legal department as the trial in the case was stayed on the orders of the high court after a challan was filled in Mohali court only under Section 506 of the IPC (criminal intimidation).
The initial FIR registered on January 5, 2024, by the SIT had included seven offences — under Sections 384 (extortion), 201 (concealment of evidence), 202 (intentionally withholding information about an offence), 506 (criminal intimidation), 116 (abetment of offences that are punishable by imprisonment), 120-b (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and 52-A (1) of the Prisons (Punjab Amendment) Act, 2011.
However, on October 9, the final report filed in a Mohali court included only Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and that too against Bishnoi who was originally named in the FIR.
As it came to light to the court through media reports that six charges mentioned in the FIR have been dropped and challan has been filed in only one offence, the hearing of the case, scheduled for October 28 was advanced to October 16.
“We have held a few meetings regarding nomination of the dismissed DSP in the FIR. As the high court has stayed the proceeding in the case, it is being clarified from the legal team as how to proceed further,” said a senior police official familiar with the development.
“After careful consideration of the facts and circumstances, the state government is satisfied that Gursher Singh has severely dented the image of Punjab Police as a result of his misconduct, negligence and dereliction of duty during the occurrence of the interview of Lawrence Bishnoi, while in custody of CIA Kharar,” read the dismissal order.
“His failure to perform his duty properly is a gross violation of the discipline and conduct rules of the Punjab Police,” the order further read.
The government orders came after approval by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), the appointing authority for the PPS cadre officers.
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