The Supreme Court on Friday granted protection from arrest to a news anchor from a private news channel who conducted a controversial video interview with jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The anchor, who is currently under investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), had interviewed Bishnoi while he was in jail. Bishnoi is known as the alleged mastermind behind the 2022 murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala and is also implicated in the firing incident outside Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s Mumbai residence.
SC Acknowledges Breach of Jail Regulations
A Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, noted the gravity of the situation, emphasizing that conducting interviews with criminals inside jail is a “serious breach of regulations,” regardless of the news anchor’s intent to expose criminal activities.
The court acknowledged that the anchor might have violated certain jail regulations but also recognized the significance of the sting operation in uncovering corruption and criminal conspiracies. Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and RS Cheema, representing the news channel and the anchor, argued that the anchor’s life is at risk due to the sting operation and requested protection from arrest.
SC Orders No Coercive Action Against the Anchor
Taking these arguments into consideration, the Supreme Court directed that no coercive action should be taken against the anchor until further orders. The CJI emphasized the importance of the anchor cooperating with the ongoing SIT investigation.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, defending the anchor, asserted that the FIR registered against the journalist was akin to “shooting the messenger.” He argued that the sting operation exposed critical lapses in jail security, revealing how Bishnoi was still in contact with Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar and was allegedly plotting an attack on Salman Khan in retaliation for the blackbuck shooting case.
Implications of the Sting Operation
The sting operation, which aired last year, revealed that Bishnoi had issued threats to Salman Khan during the interview, demanding that the actor apologize to his community for killing a blackbuck. This revelation has raised serious concerns about jail security and the ability of high-profile inmates to continue their criminal activities while incarcerated.
The Supreme Court’s decision to protect the news anchor highlights the delicate balance between exposing criminal activities and adhering to legal and regulatory standards. The case continues to unfold, with the SIT probe closely monitoring all developments.