New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday accepted the petition of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, accused in Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala's killing, claiming apprehension of a fake encounter by the Punjab police. The demand for early hearing was accepted by a division bench of the High Court led by the Chief Justice. The hearing has been posted for Wednesday morning.
Moose Wala, who had unsuccessfully contested the Punjab assembly polls on a Congress ticket, was shot dead on Sunday at Jawaharke village in the state's Mansa district.
Hours after the incident, Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar claimed responsibility for the murder in a Facebook post. Goldy Brar is a close aide of gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi, who is presently lodged in Tihar Jail.
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In his petition, Bishnoi sought a direction to the jail authorities for giving prior information to the court about any production warrant of Punjab or any other state police against him and not to give his custody to any other state police.
Bishnoi has claimed that after the murder Moosewala, there was a competition among parties to take advantage of the situation. Due to this, Punjab Police can kill him a fake encounter, the petition said.
In such a situation, the Delhi High Court should direct the Tihar Jail administration and Delhi Police that if his custody was handed over to the Punjab Police, then his security should be ensured, the petition stated.
The application said that any state police could investigate any case pending against him at Tihar Jail without obtaining his physical custody or may produce him to any other court through video conferencing.
On Monday, a Delhi court refused to entertain the plea filed by Lawrence Bisnoi. Special Judge Praveen Singh said there was no ground to entertain the plea that sought a direction to the jail authorities not to give his custody to Punjab police.
Bishnoi is facing a trial for an offence committed under the stringent MCOC (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime) Act.