Chandigarh, September 18-
The Jail department Punjab has denied the media reports pertaining to usage of mobiles in the state prisons by terming the video viral on social media as misleading, baseless and not for the jails of state.
Pertinently a news channel has flashed a video of September 17, 2023 in which infamous high risk prisoner Lawrence Bishnoi was seen speaking to Monu Manesar through a whatsapp video call. Monu Manesar is one of the prime accused in creating disturbance and inciting violence at Nuh district of Haryana. In the video, another person was seen sitting in an office chair with Lawrence Bishnoi.
The video was uploaded on social media and it was alleged that Lawrence Bishnoi was using a mobile phone while in custody at Bathinda jail. The enquiry of the matter was entrusted to Inspector General of Prisons, Punjab, who enquired into this matter and it was found that the person sitting with Lawrence Bishnoi in the video was identified as Rajkumar @, Raju Bishodhi. Rajkumar was lodged at District Jail Sri Muktsar Sahib for 28 days from January 25, 2021 to February 22, 2021.
As per official record, Lawrence Bishnoi stayed in Central Jail Faridkot till the year 2018 as he was handed over to some other State's police on January 4, 2018. Subsequently, he stayed in the prisons of other states and was brought to Central Jail Bathinda on September 24, 2022 and was again handed over to Gujarat Police on August 24, 2023. In wake of substantial evidence, IG Prisons denied the fact that the video was made in any of the prisons of Punjab as both Lawrence Bishnoi and Raju Bishodhi never stayed together in any prison of Punjab.
