Chandigarh, April 24 -- Punjab Police have formally petitioned the Union ministry of information and broadcasting to block the documentary series, Lawrence of Punjab. In an official communication, special director general of police (cyber crime) V Neeraja invoked Section 69A(1) of the Information Technology Act, urging the ministry to halt the stream and remove the trailer globally. Though the ministry has yet to issue a formal response to the request, police officials argue that the series, which explores the life of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, risks romanticising organised crime and normalising violence through dramatised portrayals of high-profile incidents, such as the murder of singer Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022. The police warned that the audio-visual nature of OTT content has a pervasive reach that could influence impressionable youth, derail ongoing trials and disturb public order in the state. Scheduled for an April 27 premiere on ZEE5, the new show is based on the life of Bishnoi, who has gained international notoriety for allegedly running a sprawling criminal syndicate from behind bars. Despite being incarcerated since 2015, Bishnoi's influence has reportedly expanded far beyond his native state Punjab, with his gang implicated in targeted assassinations such as those of Sidhu Moose Wala and politician Baba Siddique. The 33-year-old gangster is currently lodged in Gujarat's Sabarmati Jail. In September 2025, the government of Canada listed the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity. Seeking a ban on the show, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing the series as a "slap" for all Punjabis. Warring, who also recently filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Punjab and Haryana high court, argued that identifying the state with a criminal figure is an "insult to Punjab, Punjabi, and Punjabiyat." He said the state should be defined by the sacrifices of icons like Bhagat Singh and its farmers, not by "gangster culture". The Congress leader warned that the series acted as a dangerous instigation rather than entertainment, potentially drawing youth toward a world of crime. He wrote, "Glorifying crime and the gangster culture can leave a dangerous and disastrous impact on the impressionable young minds, which might well get drawn towards crime. Instead of discouraging crime and gangster culture, which we all should aspire for, the web series will glorify it. Punjab does not need any introduction." In response to the outcry, ZEE5 and Riverland Entertainment have defended the project as a sociological study, directed by Raaghav Dar. Kaveri Das, the business head for Hindi at ZEE5, said the docuseries was "not about glorifying individuals" but aimed to examine the "ecosystem" where student politics and media amplification intersected to shape digital syndicates. Despite these assurances that the narrative focuses on consequences and systemic failures, Warring said the show will send the wrong signal to the next generation, insisting that the "identity of Punjab" must be protected from the media-led glorification of violence. The demand for a ban is further fuelled by Bishnoi's jail interview of 2023, with critics fearing this series will once again sanitise a criminal's image for public entertainment. Slain singer Moose Wala's father Balkaur Singh has also expressed his strong resentment against the docuseries. "There is no justification for showcasing the life of a person associated with extortion and the murder of my son, especially while the family still awaits justice," Balkaur told reporters in Mansa recently. Moose Wala was shot dead by armed assailants in Jawaharke village of Mansa district on May 29, 2022. Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, then a close aide of Bishnoi, claimed responsibility for Moose Wala's murder in a Facebook post. Brar and Bishnoi have now reportedly fallen out and run rival syndicates....