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A local court of an additional district judge has stayed the operation of the order passed by the court of judicial magistrate first class (JMIC) on April 16 allowing the polygraph test of six Mohali-based police officials in connection with the controversial interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi recorded while he was in custody in September 2022. The counsel for the five cops submitted revision pleas in the court of an additional district judge saying that his clients have withdrawn their consent to undergo the polygraph test. The JMIC court had earlier granted permission to the investigating officer to conduct the polygraph tests in accordance with legal procedures.
The permission was granted in the ongoing case registered under Sections 384, 201, 202, 506, 116, 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 52-A(1) of The Prisons (Punjab Amendment) Act, 2011, at PS Punjab State Crime, Phase 4, Mohali. The six personnel—ASI Mukhtiar Singh, Constable Simranjit Singh, constable Harpreet Singh, constable Balwinder Singh, constable Satnam Singh, and constable Amritpal Singh, who were all posted with the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA), Mohali, at the time of the interview had earlier agreed to undergo the polygraph test, and their statements were recorded. Later, advocate Sultan Singh Sangha, counsel for the said cops said that a senior IPS officer of ADGP Rank was present in the court itself when the order was passed and his clients gave consent for the polygraph test under duress.
“The cops were not accompanied by any lawyer at the time of recording their consent before the concerned court,” Sangha added. Staying the previous order, the court said, “In view of the above facts and circumstances, the operation of impugned order is stayed till the next date of hearing only. Notice to the respondent/State be issued for April 28, 2025.
SHO concerned be also summoned for the date fixed. Lower Court record be also summoned for the date fixed”. Earlier a probe by the special investigation team (SIT) of the Punjab Police had found that one of the interviews of the gangster was conducted at the CIA facility in Kharar, Mohali, and the second was recorded in Rajasthan.
Following the SIT probe, the Punjab home secretary issued an order on October 25, 2024, suspending DSP Gursher Singh Sandhu, DSP Sammar Vaneet, sub-inspectors Reena, Jagatpal Jangu, and Shaganjit Singh, ASI Mukhtiar Singh, and head constable Om Parkash. On January 2 this year, the Punjab government dismissed DSP Gursher Singh Sandhu, a 2016-batch officer—for allegedly facilitating the interview. The interview was telecast in March 2023.
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