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Centre Advises ZEE5 To Halt ‘Lawrence of Punjab’ Docuseries Release

The move signals tighter scrutiny of OTT shows seen by officials as glorifying a jailed gangster with risks to public order.

Overview

  • ZEE5 told the Delhi High Court on Friday it received the I&B advisory at noon, and the judge deferred the case to Monday, April 27.
  • In the Punjab & Haryana High Court, the state said it blocked more than 2,600 links that glorified Lawrence Bishnoi, which the chief justice called a good move.
  • Following Friday’s halt request, messages attributed to the Bishnoi gang threatened Sidhu Moosewala’s father and senior Punjab leaders, and police began investigating WhatsApp threats sent from foreign numbers.
  • The Centre and Punjab Police argued the series blends real footage with dramatized scenes that could romanticize organized crime and draw in young viewers in a sensitive border state.
  • The makers describe the project as a documentary case study slated for April 27 on ZEE5, and Congress MP Raja Warring withdrew his PIL after the advisory was issued.