Punjab and Haryana High Court reinstates DSP dismissed over Bishnoi interview

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has quashed the dismissal of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Gursher Singh Sandhu, ordering his reinstatement with all consequential benefits. Sandhu was dismissed by the Punjab government in January 2025 for allegedly facilitating a television interview of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in March 2023.

Justice Namit Kumar ruled that the state failed to meet the constitutional standards required under Article 311(2)(b) to dispense with a regular departmental inquiry. While the court set aside the dismissal order, it clarified that the state maintains the right to resume and continue the departmental inquiry previously initiated against Sandhu and other officials.

Sandhu, who was posted in Mohali at the time of the incident, had denied any wrongdoing, stating that he was not responsible for overseeing the custody of the accused. Lawrence Bishnoi is a high-profile inmate involved in the Sidhu Moosewala murder case.