Streaming platform Zee5 has informed the Delhi high court that it is in the process of challenging the Union government's advisory to halt the release of the docuseries on gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The platform's lawyer, Amit Sibal, told the court that the Delhi high court lacked jurisdiction to hear the petition against the ban, as the substantial cause of the matter arose in Punjab.
The Delhi high court noted Zee5's submission and closed the petition, observing that the platform was unlikely to proceed with the series' release in light of the advisory. It was also noted that Zee5 is contemplating challenging the advisory before the competent court of jurisdiction.
The docuseries, titled 'Lawrence of Punjab,' was scheduled to be released on Monday. According to the makers, the series traces the evolution of a criminal identity through the lens of culture, systems, and visibility, presenting Bishnoi as a case study within the ecosystem of student politics, music, ideology, and media amplification.
Bishnoi, 33, who is lodged in a jail in Gujarat, faces multiple criminal cases. He is one of the main accused in the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala.
The Union government last week issued an advisory to Zee5 not to release the content, saying that the Punjab Police had informed it of a reasonable apprehension that it would be prejudicial to public order and has the potential to incite the commission of a cognisable offence.
