MIB blocked release of Lawrence of Punjab docuseries, Delhi HC told

Zee5 on Friday told the Delhi High Court that the central Government has asked it not to go ahead with the release of a docuseries on gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, which is scheduled to air on its OTT platform on April 27. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav was hearing a petition by Bishnoi against the release of ‘Lawrence of Punjab’ on Zee5.

“MIB (Ministry of Information and Broadcasting) has now issued an advisory advising us not to go ahead with the release. MIB has issued an advisory at 12 o’clock asking us not to release,” the counsel for the platform said. In view of the development, Justice Kaurav deferred hearing on the petition till Monday.

According to the makers, 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.” Bishnoi, 33, currently lodged in a Gujarat jail, is facing multiple criminal cases. He is one of the main accused in the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala.

Earlier, the Punjab Police wrote to the Centre and urged it to direct ZEE5 to refrain from airing the docuseries on Bishnoi, saying it poses a significant risk to public order.

In a letter to the joint secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the cybercrime division of the Punjab Police also cited that the availability of such content increases the risk of youth being influenced and drawn towards criminal or gangster-related activities.