Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, a suspect in the Sidhu Moose Wala murder case, has moved the Delhi High Court, fearing a fake encounter by the Punjab Police.
This comes a day after a Delhi court refused to entertain his plea seeking direction to the jail authorities not to give his custody to the Punjab Police.
Lawrence Bishnoi is currently lodged at Delhi's Tihar Jail no 8. After his apprehensions about a fake encounter, Bishnoi's security had been increased in jail. “Bishnoi's security has been enhanced,” the Tihar Jail DG confirmed to Hindustan Times.
What Did Bishnoi's Application Say?
Bishnoi's application had sought a direction to the Tihar Jail authorities to give prior information to the court about any production warrant presented by Punjab or any other state against Bishnoi and not to give his custody to any other state police.
Bishnoi said he feared a fake encounter by the Punjab Police due to a political rivalry.
Bishnoi's application stated that any state police could investigate any case pending against him in Tihar Jail without obtaining his physical custody and may produce him to any other court through video conferencing.
Who Is Bishnoi?
Bishnoi, 30, was arrested in 2016 and is accused of at least two dozen cases, including murder, attempt to murder, trespassing, assault, extortion, and robbery, among others.
After his arrest, Bishnoi was lodged in Rajasthan's Bharatpur jail but was moved to Delhi's Mandoli jail a year ago in connection with a Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) case. He was later shifted to Delhi's Tihar Jail, where he is currently lodged.
More Details on Sidhu Moose Wala's Killing
Punjab Police later claimed that gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar, and their associates were involved in the killing.
Hours after Moose Wala's murder on 29 May, Punjab DGP VK Bhawra had claimed, "The Lawrence Bishnoi gang is involved in this murder."
News reports indicated that Moose Wala's murder plan was allegedly plotted on the prison premises by Bishnoi and his aides.
Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar claimed to take responsibility for Moose Wala's killing in two Facebook posts that were doing the rounds on Sunday as they wanted to avenge the death of Vicky Middukhera. Vicky was reportedly a college friend of Bishnoi.
The 33-year-old Vicky Middukhera was shot dead on 7 August 2021, in the parking lot of sector 71 market in Mohali, allegedly by sharpshooters of the Bambiha group.
The posts claimed to have been on behalf of Bishnoi and said: "I, along with my brother Goldy Brar, take responsibility for killing Sidhu Moose Wala. People may say whatever they want to, but we have avenged the death of our brother Vicky Middukhera. Sidhu Moose Wala had helped to get him killed."
"I had called him from Jaipur and told him that what he did was wrong. He told me he didn't care for anyone, and he challenged me, saying that he, too, kept his weapon loaded. So now we have avenged our brother's death. But this is just the beginning. Whoever was involved in the killing of our brother, they should be alert."
(With inputs from News18.)
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