A Delhi court granted the National Investigation Agency (NIA) 11-day custody of gangster Anmol Bishnoi, wanted in multiple high-profile cases, including the assassination of Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Siddique in Maharashtra last year.
Deported from the US, the NIA produced Anmol, brother of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, at Patiala House Court on Wednesday amid tight security. Hearing the matter, Special Judge Prashant Sharma granted the central agency 11 days of custody, though the agency petitioned for 15 days of custody to interrogate the accused. Bishnoi has been lodged at the NIA headquarters in Delhi.
Rahul Tyagi, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) appearing for NIA, said Anmol will be probed on various issues ranging from high-profile murders to attempts to revive the Khalistan movement in the country again.
"He is a very important member of the terror-gangster syndicate. He has some very important information. He was running the syndicate and was a key member," Tyagi said. "As per the FIR, Lawrence Bishnoi gang colluded with Babbar Khalsa International gang, and they started working for them. Babbar Khalsa was attempting to revive the Khalistan Movement, and the Bishnoi gang was helping them. Several such angles are being investigated," he added.
During the interrogation, NIA aims to unearth the modus operandi of the Bishnoi gang, their source of funds, involvement of other people and operation of the syndicate. The investigators will also probe how he managed to flee India. The court will hear the matter again on November 29.
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Anmol, detained in the US last year, was deported on Tuesday. The NIA took custody of the wanted gangster once he landed in India. Anmol is the 19th accused to be arrested in connection with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. "Anmol was chargesheeted by the NIA in March 2023 after investigations in the case established that he had actively aided designated individual terrorist Goldy Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi in the commission of various acts of terrorism in the country during the 2020-2023 period," the NIA said in a statement.
Anmol is wanted in connection with multiple high-profile cases, including the killing of NCP leader Siddique, firing at actor Salman Khan's residence in April 2024, the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, among other crimes. |
