A Delhi court on Tuesday, 14 June, granted Punjab Police the transit remand of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi after he was allowed to be formally arrested in connection with singer Sidhu Moose Wala's murder.
Bishnoi will be produced on Wednesday before Chief Judicial Magistrate in Mansa court in connection with the murder case.
Bishnoi's lawyer Vishal Chopra told news agency ANI that the court has transit remand has been granted with conditions.
The conditions being:
Punjab Police will get Bishnoi's medical test done before taking him away
All safety measures will be kept in mind
Bishnoi be handcuffed and shackled and will be taken in a bullet proof vehicle
Complete videography right from him being taken away to being presented before the court will be done
Chopra added that as per the court's order, Punjab Police will be "completely responsible for his life and security and that no mishappenings should take place with him."
Later, Bishnoi was taken to Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia hospital for medical examination by the Punjab Police.
The Punjab government lawyer told the duty magistrate at Patiala House Court,"There will be about 50 police personnel of Punjab Police, two bulletproof vehicles; 12 vehicles will run on the way which will clear the route. All routes will be videographed," NDTV reported.
The Punjab Police had earlier submitted an application in Delhi's Patiala House court to interrogate Bishnoi in the case.
The gangster was produced in court in an Arms Act case by the Delhi Police after his remand period came to an end.
Bishnoi's counsel Vishal Chopra, however, had opposed the Punjab Police's application, saying that there was a looming security threat against his client.
"We have apprehensions that Lawrence Bishnoi may be killed in a fake encounter in Punjab," Chopra said, as per news agency ANI.
'Not Opposed to Virtual Interrogation of Bishnoi': Counsel
Vishal Chopra added that he was not opposed to the virtual interrogation of his client.
"I am not opposing virtual interrogation and investigation. We are just opposing physical transit remand of him (Bishnoi) to Punjab," Chopra said, adding that the police could arrest Bishnoi in connection with Moose Wala's murder if needed, but only in Delhi.
The Punjab Police had requested transit remand of Bishnoi for a day. This comes after Delhi Police said that the gangster was the mastermind behind Moose Wala's killing.
Bishnoi was previously remanded in Delhi Police's custody for four days by the Patiala House court in connection with an old case under the Punjab Arms Act.
Meanwhile, six of the eight shooters who allegedly killed Moose Wala have been identified, the Delhi Police had said on 10 June.
Moose Wala was shot dead on 29 May in Punjab's Mansa district, a day after the state government curtailed his security cover.
(With inputs from ANI.)
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