The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday set aside the Centre’s advisory against the release of a documentary series based on gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, while directing its makers to remove references to “Lawrence” and “Punjab” from the title.

The documentary, originally titled Lawrence of Punjab, was scheduled to stream on ZEE5 on April 27 but its release was stalled after the Centre cited apprehensions of law-and-order issues.

The directions came on a plea filed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises challenging an advisory issued by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting against the release of the series.

Appearing for the petitioner, counsel Amit Jhanji submitted before the court that neither “Lawrence Bishnoi” nor “Punjab” would be used in the title of the docu-series.

The high court also viewed the series and observed that it did not appear to glorify any individual.

The controversy over the documentary had erupted days before its scheduled release after Punjab Advocate General M S Bedi opposed its streaming, contending that it could negatively influence youth by normalising organised crime.

The objection followed a petition filed by Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring seeking a ban on the series.

During the hearing of the matter, the Centre had issued an advisory against releasing the documentary, citing concerns raised by Punjab Police that it posed a significant risk to public order.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had told the court that the content had the potential to evoke strong public reactions and that its release was likely to heighten tensions and create adverse law-and-order implications.

It had further stated that Punjab Police informed it that the series contained dramatised portrayals, real-life footage and narrative elements leading to the glorification and amplification of organised crime and criminal elements.

According to the makers, the documentary “traces the journey of a criminal identity through the lens of culture, systems and visibility” and treats Bishnoi as a case study in the ecosystem of student politics, music, ideology and media amplification.

Bishnoi first came into national focus over alleged plans targeting Bollywood actor Salman Khan in connection with the blackbuck poaching case from the 1990s.

The original title of the series was inspired by the Oscar-winning film Lawrence of Arabia.