Streaming platform ZEE5 on Friday told the Delhi High Court that it would challenge the Centre’s advisory restraining the release of its documentary Lawrence of Punjab, bringing the dispute over alleged gangster Lawrence Bishnoi into sharp legal focus.Related news: Centre advises ZEE5 not to release ‘Lawrence of Punjab’, cites law and order concernsSenior Advocate Rajiv Nayar, appearing for the platform, informed Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) issued a communication shortly before the scheduled release, advising the platform not to go ahead. He indicated that the directive would be contested before the court.Nayar told the Bench that the government’s advisory effectively halted the release and said Zee5 would take legal recourse against it.The court was hearing a plea filed by Bishnoi seeking to stop the documentary, claiming it affects his rights. However, with his counsel absent at the time of hearing, Justice Kaurav adjourned the matter to April 27.The Centre’s move follows proceedings before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, where Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring had opposed the release.The advisory cites inputs from Punjab Police, which raised concerns that screening the documentary could have implications for public order. Taking note of the government’s stand, the High Court disposed of the plea.Zee5 has maintained that the documentary traces Bishnoi’s trajectory from student politics to the formation of a criminal network, portraying a shadowy influence that extends across regions.According to the advisory, the ministry noted a “reasonable apprehension” that the release of the proposed series—understood to be “Lawrence of Punjab”—could be prejudicial to public order and had the potential to incite the commission of cognisable offences.The communication was placed before the Bench headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu by Additional Solicitor-General of India Satya Pal Jain, and counsel Dheeraj Jain, during the course of hearing.The ministry’s communication referred to an earlier advisory issued on October 27, 2025, as well as its letter dated April 23, 2026, and advised ZEE5 to refrain from releasing the content and take appropriate action in the matter. The order was issued with the approval of the competent authority.The move comes amid mounting pressure from both political leaders and law enforcement agencies over the proposed release of the series, which is scheduled to premiere on April 27. Punjab Police had earlier urged the Centre to block the series, alleging that it could glorify organised crime and adversely influence young viewers.The matter is also currently under consideration before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, where the petitioner has sought an urgent stay on the release of the series, arguing that it romanticises the life and criminal activities of Lawrence Bishnoi and may negatively impact public sentiment in Punjab.