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Anmol Bishnoi sent to 11-day NIA custody after Delhi return
A Delhi court on Wednesday sent gangster Anmol Bishnoi to 11-day National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Wednesday sent gangster Anmol Bishnoi to 11-day National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody, noting that allegations against him were serious and the role played by him in the execution of terror conspiracy at the behest of the gang headed by his brother Lawrence needed to be unearthed.
The order by special judge (NIA) Prashant Sharma of Patiala House courts came hours after Bishnoi was arrested by NIA after being brought to Delhi on his deportation from the US.
“Investigation with regard to aspects viz. the role of the accused in alleged conspiracy, incriminating evidence against him, modus operandi used by him for committing crime in question, source of fund used by him for execution of terror conspiracy and details of social medial accounts through which responsibility of terror activities executed by Lawrence Bishnoi Gang in India…needs to be unearthed,” the court said.
NIA, represented by special public prosecutor Rahul Tyagi and public prosecutor Kushdeep Gaur, in its remand plea, said a conspiracy was hatched by members of a criminal syndicate, which included Anmol, based in India and abroad with Babbar Khalsa International and its operatives, for raising funds, recruitment of youth for carrying out terrorist acts in Delhi and other parts of the country.
“…the said syndicate is involved in executing and planning to execute spectacular heinous crime, including but not limited to targeted killings of prominent persons with an intention to strike terror in the minds of the people and furthering the cause of Babbar Khalsa International…attracting UAPA,” the federal agency said.
Bishnoi was represented by advocates Deepak Nanda and Rajani.
Anmol Bishnoi, the younger brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, was arrested by NIA immediately upon landing at the Delhi airport along with 200 deportees from the US. A proclaimed offender, Anmol was carrying a cash reward of ₹10 lakh, under arrest.
Absconding since 2022, Anmol is the 13th co-accused arrested for his involvement in the terror syndicate led by his jailed brother. He was charge sheeted by NIA in March 2023 after probe revealed that he had actively aided designated terrorist Goldy Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi to carry out terrorist activities in the country during 2020 to 2023.
Anmol is also an accused in the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique, shooting outside the house of Bollywood actor Salman Khan in Bandra, and the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala.
Anmol’s counsel, Advocate Rajani, argued that all investigating material is already in possession of NIA and nothing more was required to grant his custody to the agency. The counsel added that the case was not based on any direct evidence and that Anmol was ready to cooperate with NIA without being remanded to custody.
However, observing that allegations against Bishnoi were serious, the court said the scope of investigation and evidence collected during investigation was very wide.
A senior Punjab Police officer involved in the Moosewala murder case said Anmol had worked closely with Goldy Brar and his brother in planning and executing the murder in May 2022.
“We are all set to investigate him in the case once NIA complete his interrogation,” the officer said, declining to be named.
The Punjab police said that its probe revealed that Anmol had fled India on a fake passport just days before Moosewala was shot dead to deceive the police. The deported gangster had been living in the US under the fake identity of “Bhanu” after entering the country using a forged passport, they added.
The Rajasthan Police, meanwhile, in a note said that at least 22 criminal cases have been registered against Anmol in the western state, followed by five in Punjab, two in Haryana, and one each in Delhi and Mumbai. “About 31 cases are registered against Anmol in Rajasthan and Punjab. In Rajasthan, 22 cases have been registered against Anmol under sections of murder, attempt to murder, extortion and Arms Act,” police said in a note.
To be sure, NIA in its remand plea said that Anmol was wanted in 11 cases across the country.
(With inputs from Ravinder Vasudeva in Chandigarh and Senjuti Sengupta in Jaipur)
