Delhi court sends gangster Lawrence Bishnoi to judicial custody

New Delhi, June 14

A Delhi court on Wednesday sent gangster Lawrence Bishnoi to judicial custody on expiry of his police remand in connection with an extortion case.

On June 11, Bishnoi was sent to three days of police custody by the Saket court.

On Delhi Police's application, the Saket Duty Metropolitan Magistrate sent the accused to the judicial custody.

Earlier, while seeking his remand, Delhi Police's Crime Branch had told the court that they have arrested an individual, who they need to interrogate face-to-face with other accused.A

"Lawrence also needs to be taken to Gandhinagar, Gujarat," it had argued.

"It is submitted that accused Lawrence Bishnoi needs to be confronted with the accused Akshay to unearth the criminal nexus and to gather information regarding another accused, Kapil and how accused Lawrence Bishnoi was able to give directions to accused Akshay despite being in jail. The interrogation is required for a meaningful conclusion of the investigation," the court had noted while allowing the move of the Crime Branch.

On June 9, Lawrence, through his counsel, had filed an application before a Special NIA court, requesting the court not to lodge him in Mandoli Jail. He had requested in his plea that he should be lodged in a jail in Bathinda instead of Mandoli.

"If Lawrence is lodged back in Mandoli Jail, there are possibilities of an attack on him as his rivals are also lodged in the same jail. There is a risk of a gang war and violence," Lawrence had requested in his plea.

"After this, the court has ensured that after the completion of the Crime Branch's three-day custody, Delhi Police will shift Lawrence back to Bathinda Jail under tight security," said his counsel Vishal Chopra.