Punjab Police is urging the central government to ban the ZEE5 docu-series 'Lawrence of Punjab' fearing it will glorify gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and incite criminal activity among the youth.
Key Points
- Punjab Police urges Centre to ban ZEE5 docu-series 'Lawrence of Punjab' due to public order concerns.
- The docu-series is feared to glorify organised crime and negatively influence youth.
- Concerns raised over the documentary's potential to undermine law enforcement efforts against gangsters.
- Punjab Police cites ongoing court case regarding interviews of Lawrence Bishnoi promoting criminal activities.
- The police highlight the wide reach and impact of internet-based content on impressionable individuals.
The Punjab Police has urged the Centre to direct ZEE5 to refrain from airing the docu-series on gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, 'Lawrence of Punjab', saying it poses a significant risk to public order.
In a letter to the joint secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the cybercime division of the Punjab Police also cited that availability of such content increases the risk of youth being influenced and drawn towards criminal or gangster-related activities.
'Lawrence of Punjab' is scheduled to be released on ZEE5 OTT platform on April 27.
Concerns Over Glorifying Gangster Culture
Earlier, Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring wrote to the prime minister, urging him to ban the webseries as it would glorify gangster culture.
Bishnoi, 33, currently lodged in a Gujarat jail, has multiple criminal cases registered against him. He is also one of the main accused in the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala.
A product of a gangster-terror network, Bishnoi has also been named by the National Investigation Agency in several high-profile cases.
Police Cite Risk to Public Order
In the letter, the cybercrime division of Punjab Police said the docu-series depicts the life and criminal trajectory of gangster Bishnoi and includes references to serious criminal incidents, including the murder of Sidhu Moosewala and other firing incidents linked to prominent personalities.
"The content contains dramatized portrayals, real-life footage, and narrative elements which lead to the glorification and amplification of organised crime and criminal elements," wrote Special Director General of Police (cybercrime division) V Neerja.
According to the makers of the documentary, the show "traces the journey of a criminal identity through the lens of culture, systems, and visibility" and treats Bishnoi as a case study in the ecosystem of student politics, music, ideology and media amplification.
Potential Impact on Youth
The Punjab Police also pointed out that the documentary has attracted strong objections from various sections of society.
"There is apprehension that the documentary has the potential to attract widespread public attention and risk the glorification of criminal elements; negatively influence youth by normalising or romanticising organised crime; undermine ongoing law enforcement efforts against gangsters and disturb public order, thereby vitiating the law and order situation in the state," the letter said.
Given the sensitivity of gangster-related issues in Punjab and the potential for such content to evoke strong public reactions, the release of the series is likely to lead to heightened tensions and adverse law and order implications, wrote the special DGP.
Court Orders and Previous Concerns
The letter also referred to an ongoing case in which the Punjab and Haryana High Court took a suo motu cognizance of interviews of Bishnoi.
The court observed that such content tends to promote criminal activities and may adversely impact ongoing trials as well as influence witnesses, it pointed out while mentioning the court order of the removal of Bishnoi interviews from the internet.
The police also pointed towards another court order which came in January in which the high court reiterated its directions to identify websites and social media platforms where content glorifying crime and criminals is being shared, and to take immediate steps for its removal.
"In view of the judicial directions and the inputs received, there exists a reasonable apprehension that the release of the said documentary is prejudicial to public order and has the potential to incite the commission of cognizable offences," said the letter to I&B Ministry.
Content on internet-based platforms has a far wider reach compared to print media, and its audio-visual nature makes it more impactful and influential, it said.
"Such content can be easily accessed by a large section of society, including both literate and illiterate persons, thereby increasing the risk of youth and other impressionable individuals being influenced and drawn towards criminal or gangster-related activities. In this context, the availability of the said content online poses a significant risk to public order," it added.
The police urged the ministry to exercise powers under Section 69A(1) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 that necessary directions may be issued to the ZEE5 OTT platform to refrain from telecasting the said documentary and to block public access to the trailer of the upcoming documentary on a global basis.
