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Centre tells ZEE5 not to release Lawrence Bishnoi documentary after Punjab Police says it poses 'risk to public order'
The I&B Ministry has issued a communication to ZEE5 asking them not to release Lawrence of Punjab, a docu-series based on gangster Lawrence of Bishnoi.
The upcoming ZEE5 docu series, Lawrence of Punjab, based on the rise of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, will not be releasing this month as scheduled, after the Union government advised the streaming platform not to release it.
I&B Ministry tells ZEE5 not to release Lawrence of Punjab
News agency ANI reported on Friday that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has advised ZEE5 not to release Lawrence of Punjab, following the Punjab Police's apprehension that it posed a risk to public order. Lawrence of Punjab was to be released on ZEE5 on April 27.
The shadow ban comes a day after Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking a ban on the release of the web series. In his suit, Warring claimed the show glorified gangster culture and would send a negative message to the state's youth.
When the case came up in the high court on Friday, Additional Solicitor General of India Satya Pal Jain and advocate Dheeraj Jain, representing the Centre, placed a copy of the communication from the I&B ministry before the bench.
“I am directed to refer to CWP-PIL-107-2026 Amrinder Singh Raja Warring vs Union Of India, And Others filed before the Hon'ble Punjab & Haryana High Court, and to invite attention to the Advisory dated 27.10.2025 issued by this Ministry,” read the I&B communication. Following this, Warring's lawyer said their petition was disposed of because their grievance had been redressed, following the Centre's advisory to ZEE5.
What the Centre said to ZEE5
In its communication to the streaming platform, the Ministry added that the Punjab Police has highlighted that the docu-series could hamper peace in the state. “The Punjab Police has informed that given the sensitivity of gangster-related issues in Punjab and the potential for such content to evoke strong public reactions, the release of the series is likely to lead to heightened tensions and adverse law and order implications,” the communication said.
It also cautioned against disseminating any content that ‘romanticises organised crime’.
“It is further informed that the documentary has the potential to negatively influence youth by normalising or romanticising organised crime; undermine ongoing law enforcement efforts against gangsterism; and disturb public order, thereby vitiating the law and order situation in the State,” the order added.
The ministry's order has advised ZEE5 to “take note and take appropriate action in the matter.”
What is Lawrence of Punjab about
Lawrence of Punjab's title is a play on the Oscar-winning classic Lawrence of Arabia. The series is scheduled to release on ZEE5 on April 27. It charts the rise of Lawrence Bishnoi, a dreaded gangster who first made national news after planning hits on Bollywood superstar Salman Khan over his alleged role in the blackbuck poaching case from the 90s.
According to the makers earlier, the show "traces the journey of a criminal identity through the lens of culture, systems, and visibility" and treats Bishnoi as a case study in the ecosystem of student politics, music, ideology and media amplification.
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