7NEWS Spotlight on Channel 7 and 7plus S2024E27 Lindt Cafe exclusive – Hero Lindt Café cop who shot Man Monis wins monumental legal battle to be identified
7NEWS Spotlight to air first exclusive interview this Sunday
Just two weeks before the 10th anniversary of the Lindt Café siege, the hero police officer who took down terrorist Man Monis has won a monumental legal battle to be identified and speak publicly about his role in the ordeal.
For the past decade we’ve only known him as Officer A. Today, Australia can finally meet Lindt Siege hero Ben Besant.
The former NSW Police Tactical Operations Unit Officer’s months-long legal fight in the NSW Coroner’s Court, backed by the Seven Network, came to an end this afternoon when the Coroner lifted the suppression order which had prevented him from ever publicly telling his story.
The story of the siege has been told from many viewpoints, but never by the man who fired the fatal bullets that killed terrorist Man Monis – until now.
This Sunday, in a 7NEWS Spotlight exclusive to air at 7.00pm on Channel 7 and 7plus, Besant will for the very first time share his experience of the moment he came face-to-face with evil and the emotional devastation he endured in the wake of the tragedy.
Speaking to 7NEWS Chief Reporter Chris Reason, Besant explained how the suppression order has fuelled the PTSD which cost him his career, marriage and home:
“I’m never one to walk away from a fight, and I have been fighting for a long time to have my name returned to me and all the things I can bring and offer to people who suffer from the same condition.
“That’s what I’ve been fighting so hard for – to be allowed to share my name and my story and put my name to my story. It’s become such a big issue for me to be able to get my name back, and without you and Channel 7 that wouldn’t have happened.”
Reason, who watched the entire siege unfold from Seven’s former Martin Place headquarters, said today of the court ruling:
“This is a stunning victory for Ben Besant. He has fought for years to have his identity released, and finally the courts have backed him.
“7NEWS is proud to have helped him finally get his identity back. It means the world to him and gives him the power to do what he has longed to do – help others who are grappling with enormous trauma of PTSD.”
Alongside the hour-long 7NEWS Spotlight special, a five-part podcast series Lindt Siege: The Untold Story reveals further insight into Besant’s life, charting his journey from boyhood to the Tactical Operations Unit, and that fateful night inside the Lindt Cafe.
7NEWS Spotlight: Lindt Siege – The Untold Story – This Sunday at 7PM on Channel 7 and 7plus
Plus ‘Lindt Siege: The Untold Story’ podcast available soon on all platforms
+ Tik Tok Killer
Western Sydney mother-of-two Kirandeep Saggar met her boyfriend on TikTok. Then he killed her father.
It all began with a seemingly innocent exchange on the social media app in 2023, when Kirandeep responded to a message from Indian-Canadian rapper Ranjit Bath.
The pair quickly began dating, but their relationship soon became one of obsession. Ranjit began to stalk Kirandeep and when she refused to marry him, things turned deadly.
This Sunday at 7.00pm on Channel 7 and 7plus, 7NEWS Spotlight presents an exclusive global investigation into a killer on the run – and exposes a major flaw in the communication between global law enforcement agencies.
7NEWS reporter Natasha Squarey travels to British Columbia, Canada, to track down the fugitive killer who continues to terrorise Kirandeep.
The 7NEWS Spotlight crew also heads to India to question authorities on how they have let Ranjit Bath get away with it.
The program features former West Vancouver Police Chief Kash Heed, who warns that the ongoing failure of police in India and Canada in arresting Ranjit is putting Kirandeep’s life at risk.
Kirandeep tells Natasha that Ranjit threatens her daily, saying he will kill her and her family next.
“He killed my father. My biggest fear now is he can come and kill me anytime because he’s free,”
– she says.
“I feel hopeless because I have proof, I have all the records which show he did that but still the police are not doing anything.”
7NEWS Spotlight: The TikTok Killer – This Sunday at 7.00pm on Channel 7 and 7plus
Media Release – Seven
TV Central Seven content HERE
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7NEWS Spotlight on Channel 7 and 7plus S2024E27 Lindt Cafe exclusive
