Lawrence Bishnoi's 'man' shows chats to get Supreme Court relief in rape case: Report

The accused claimed he was in a live-in relationship with the complainant, who later began a relationship with a superintendent-level police officer.

The Supreme Court recently granted bail to a Punjab man accused of rape and allegedly using his “connections” with jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi to threaten the complainant.

Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. (HT File)

As part of his bail petition, the man produced purported WhatsApp chats and a call record between the woman and a senior officer of Punjab Police, The Indian Express reported.

As per the report, the accused claimed he was in a live-in relationship with the complainant, who later began a relationship with the superintendent-level police officer.

The officer used his influence within the police force to implicate the man in a false case of rape and threats against the woman, the petition said.

The petitioner's lawyer alleged the lady filed the complaint under the officer's directions.

“There is not an iota of evidence to suggest my client threatened the woman in the name of Lawrence Bishnoi. She concocted the false story to implicate him under the influence of the police officer,” RK Grewal, the lawyer, told the website.

Grewal added, “The motive behind the false implication is evident from the WhatsApp chat and video recordings, as the officer was in a relationship with the complainant and could not tolerate my client's relationship with her.”

Earlier this month, Mumbai Police registered a case of non-cognisable offence against an unidentified caller, a male, who allegedly threatened an ambulance operator in the name of Lawrence Bishnoi.

The caller had an affair with a girl, and threatened to shoot the ambulance operator, who was spotted with her, according to news agency PTI.