Punjab & Haryana HC Denies Bail to Lawrence Bishnoi Gang Member, Warns Against Media Glorification of Criminals

Last Updated on September 20, 2024 by Amit Patra

In a stern rebuke to the growing menace of gang culture and its glorification in media, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has rejected the bail application of yet another accused of being a member of the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The order of the court indicates that the judiciary is in no mood to let the gentry of the organized crime syndicates gain their ascendancy. The message that courts are delivering is about the consequences of engaging in criminal activities.

Justice Harpreet Singh Brar observed in the case of Kapil @ Ninni when he dismissed his bail plea in respect of a murder committed by him in 2019 that it was unfortunate that popular media have provided realistic glimpses of hardened criminals. “These have created a distorted sense of power and impunity, especially in the youth,” he said. Justice Brar observed that unchecked gang activities bring with them far-reaching implications such as upsurge in violent crime, economic instability and so on.

In this case, Kapil is accused of an attempt to murder, an earlier case in which he is said to have fired on a car and an owner of liquor business, who died. Arguing before the court that Kapil was not even mentioned in the FIR and was implicated on the disclosure statement of a co-accused, defence counsel pleaded with the court to not release him as the risk factor of sending him out with the granted bail was too high. Significantly, Kapil is under trial in nine other cases and has been found guilty in two, inflicting upon himself a veritable history of criminality.

The judgment of the court is based on some pertinent points. It recognises on its part that the gangster culture, especially the extortion rackets, pose a direct threat to the social order and public safety. Under this head, the judgment discusses some of the more contentious issues, such as media glorification of criminals, that the court felt has contributed to the normalization of criminal behavior and recruitment of vulnerable youth into gangs. Finally, the judgment calls for strict law enforcement and legal measures to dismantle criminal networks and restore public confidence in the judicial system.

Significantly, the court also directed the preparation of a Threat Analysis Report by the police for the protection of the complainant and witnesses under the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018. Such an order clearly shows that the judicial system is keen on offering protection and putting the accused in a safe position.

This judgment becomes a landmark in the battle against organized crime, as the judiciary informs society that there is no tolerance for the stereotyping of gang culture. It will also trigger a wider social assessment on the role played by the media to inform society on what criminality is and the need to take a balanced approach that would not inadvertently dramatize lawlessness.