HC stays proceedings on SIT’s cancellation report in Lawrence Bishnoi interview case

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday ordered a stay on further proceedings before the Mohali Judicial Magistrate, First Class (JMIC), regarding the cancellation report filed by the Special Investigation Team in the Lawrence Bishnoi interview case.

The report was filed by the SIT, led by Prabodh Kumar, Special Director General of Police, Punjab State Human Rights Commission.

The order was passed by a Bench of Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Lapita Banerji in a suo motu case.

The Bench asserted, “It is perplexing to note that the report was not furnished to this court on October 15, when the matter had come up for hearing. The counsel for the State of Punjab has not been able to provide any satisfactory explanation with regard to the tearing hurry in filing the cancellation report before JMIC, SAS Nagar.”

Consequently, the Bench directed the SIT head to file a copy of the investigation report before the high court forthwith. A copy was also ordered to be furnished to the Additional Solicitor-General of India, amicus curiae, and counsel for the States of Punjab and Haryana.

The Bench observed in its detailed order that the SIT, investigating FIR No. 1 dated January 5, registered at the State Crime police station in Mohali, had previously presented several status reports on July 10, August 7, September 6, September 12 and October 15.

On October 15, the Bench observed that the SIT’s head had filed an affidavit, which included a note outlining instances of “misconduct, negligence, and dereliction of duty by the officers concerned”.

Despite this, the cancellation report, submitted to the JMIC on October 9, was not made available to the High Court on October 15, prompting today’s direction to the SIT head to immediately file the complete investigation report.

The case has now been adjourned until October 28.