Overview
- The High Court asked the Union information ministry and the Punjab government to file responses to Zee Entertainment’s petition and listed the matter for May 11.
- Zee’s plea challenges communications dated April 23 and April 24 that advised ZEE5 not to release the documentary series about Lawrence Bishnoi, which had been slated to stream on April 27.
- Government counsel said the advisory followed Punjab Police inputs warning that the series could disturb public order by portraying a real-life gangster in a way that might influence viewers.
- Zee argued the advisory is an unlawful prior restraint on its Article 19(1)(a) free‑speech rights and said the program is a factual work based on public‑domain material that does not glorify crime.
- An earlier PIL by MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring seeking a stay was disposed of after the ministry’s advisory, effectively halting the release pending the court’s review.