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by sayum
20 February 2026 10:40 AM
High Court Slams Laxity in Curbing Jail Crimes, Orders Expedited SIT Probe into Extortion Calls and Targeted Killings, Punjab and Haryana High Court delivered an emphatic interim order in the case titled Court on Its Own Motion v. State of Punjab and Others, highlighting grave concerns over the alarming rise in criminal activities orchestrated from prisons, including extortion calls, targeted killings, and glorification of crime through media interviews from behind bars. The Bench comprising Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Deepak Manchanda issued a series of stringent directions, reflecting the Court’s growing intolerance for administrative inertia and its insistence on safeguarding public order.
The Court took suo motu cognizance after viral interviews of incarcerated gangsters gained millions of views, resulting in a spike in violent crimes in Punjab. Observing the systemic failure, the Court remarked on the "difficult-to-believe" possibility that such high-profile interviews could be organized without the connivance of senior jail officials. The Court categorically stated, “It is difficult to believe that the interview could have taken place without involvement of senior officers especially when the place of interview could be established only after the intervention of this Court.”
Background of the Case: Prison Interview Sparks Judicial Scrutiny into Punjab’s Law & Order Crisis
The origin of this PIL dates back to 2023, when sensational interviews of incarcerated gangsters from Punjab's prisons were aired and widely circulated. The broadcast glorified criminal acts, reportedly emboldening criminal gangs to carry out extortion, ransom, and targeted killings across Punjab. The High Court, alarmed by these developments, had earlier ordered the removal of such content from the internet.
The Court in its previous order dated August 7, 2024, had directed the Director General of Police, Punjab to furnish detailed affidavits about the crimes linked to such glorification. An initial report submitted before the Court established a disturbing increase in organized crimes post-interview.
Legal Issues: Whether State Authorities Failed to Prevent Organized Crime, and the Judicial Oversight on Jail Administration
The Court grappled with crucial legal questions, including the accountability of jail and police administration in preventing crimes from within prisons, and the judicial responsibility to ensure public order is not compromised by administrative inefficiency. The central legal foundation rested on the constitutional mandate of maintaining law and order and preventing the misuse of public infrastructure for furtherance of crime.
Court Observations: Serious Concerns Over Administrative Laxity and Superficial Compliance
The High Court expressed its discontent over the perfunctory compliance by the State, observing:
“There appears to be further increase in crime in the recent past, especially relating to extortions, threatening/ransom calls, targeted killings etc.”
Directing stern action, the Court reiterated that not just junior jail officials but “the role of senior officers” must be investigated to ensure that scapegoating is avoided.
The Court firmly directed the DGP Punjab to file a detailed affidavit by the next date of hearing (August 18, 2025), listing month-wise data of crimes involving extortion, ransom, and targeted killings between January 1, 2024, and July 15, 2025. The DGP is also mandated to outline preventive steps and compliance with the Single Bench’s directions in CRM-M-31019 of 2025.
Further, noting the failure to provide proper infrastructural support to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), the Court warned the State. “Adequate facilities and infrastructure would be provided to the Head of the SIT forthwith,” the Advocate General assured the Court after complaints were raised by the Amicus Curiae regarding non-functional Wi-Fi during video proceedings.
Orders and Directions: Mandate for Transparent Reporting, SIT Empowerment, and Technological Integration
Highlighting severe resource gaps, the Court ordered several remedial measures:
Recruitment for jail staff was expedited with requisitions already sent to the Punjab Subordinate Selection Board and Punjab Public Service Commission.
The Prison Inmate Calling System (PICS) was augmented from 357 to 800, providing inmates 10 minutes of daily calling, though the Court noted the “under-utilization” of this facility.
High-risk prisoner appearances are to be conducted via video conferencing, reducing security deployment and saving public funds.
A critical directive was issued to trial courts in Punjab to “use video conferencing as much as possible especially in the case of high-risk prisoners.”
The Court reconstituted the SIT, including AIG Counter Intelligence, Mr. Dhruv Dahiya, to assist the Head of SIT, Mr. Prabodh Kumar, IPS (Retd.), with specific instructions to examine the complicity of senior officers.
The Court made it clear that public resources — including money, security, and technological infrastructure — are meant for “public interest” and “maintenance of law and order,” not to facilitate the glorification of crime.
Judicial Accountability Tightened, State Put on Notice
The Punjab & Haryana High Court’s order serves as a stark reminder of judicial vigilance in curbing crime, especially when facilitated by administrative negligence. The Court’s consistent monitoring signals a zero-tolerance policy for complicity, setting high expectations for the State to overhaul its prison administration, curb jail-based crimes, and prevent any glorification of criminals. The proceedings will resume on August 18, 2025, with the Court awaiting comprehensive compliance from the State.
Date of Decision: 16.07.2025
