Mumbai: Congress MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has issued a legal notice to an OTT platform over the upcoming docu-series ‘Lawrence of Punjab’. The Ludhiana Lok Sabha representative has raised objections regarding the content and its potential impact, seeking intervention ahead of the show’s release.
On Tuesday, the politician sent a legal notice to Zee5 asking the platform to suspend or defer the release of the series, citing violation of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, enacted by India under the IT Act, 2000.
He wrote, “The series is purportedly based on the life and activities of a notorious gangster, Lawrence Bishoni, involved in organised criminal networks, against whom multiple serious criminal proceedings are pending before competent courts. The web series, therefore, would be glorifying a criminal and a gangster, which would amount to direct promotion of unlawful activity. The proposed portrayal, by dramatising the life of a known criminal figure, runs the real risk of romanticising and legitimising criminal conduct, thereby conferring undeserved notoriety and social validation, creating perverse incentives and aspirational value around criminality and diluting the deterrent effect of criminal law”.
He further mentioned, “The State of Punjab is presently grappling with organised gang networks and youth susceptibility to criminal influence. In such a sensitive milieu, the portrayal of a real-life gangster in a prominent narrative format is likely to trigger emulation and hero-worship. There exists a proximate and not merely speculative likelihood of such content aggravating law and order concerns, and the possibility of copycat incidents and inter-gang provocation cannot be ruled out. In fact, it is settled law that where there exists a reasonable nexus between speech and public disorder, preventive action is justified.”
He cited Article 19 (2) of the Constitution of India and said that although freedom of speech is a fundamental right, it cannot be absolute and can invite reasonable restrictions depending on the nature and substance of the expression.
“Content which has a tendency to encourage or legitimise criminal conduct, especially in a volatile social context, squarely falls within the domain of permissible restriction,” he added.
Lawrence Bishnoi is India’s most dreaded gangster currently. He operates his network from the Sabarmati Central Jail. He has been involved in many high-profile assassinations, including the 2022 murder of Punjabi sensation Sidhu Moose Wala. Moose Wala was shot in broad daylight by the members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Goldy Brar was the key conspirator and also claimed responsibility for the attack. He was gunned down while driving his SUV in the Mansa district of Punjab. He was also a close friend of Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.
Lawrence Bishnoi has also constantly issued threats to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan owing to his involvement in the blackbuck poaching case. Salman Khan has received state protection, with his security getting beefed up.
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–IANS
