NEW DELHI, Nov 2: The Crime Branch of Mumbai Police has initiated the process for the extradition from the United States of Anmol Bishnoi, the younger brother of notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, wanted in connection with the recent murder of the Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Siddique case and firing at actor Salman Khan’s Bandra residence.
A special court for Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) cases has issued a non-bailable warrant for Anmol Bishnoi’s arrest, said police sources. They said they were waiting for certain court documents to complete the formalities, after which a formal proposal would be sent to the central government for further action.
A red corner notice has also been issued for his search abroad, the sources added. The crime branch started the extradition process reportedly after the US alerted his presence there. Earlier, he was believed to be in Canada.
Anmol faces two cases registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and 18 other criminal cases. Mumbai Police moved the court seeking his extradition. Recently, the NIA announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for the person providing information that will lead to the arrest of Anmol Bishnoi.
Baba Siddique, a former Maharashtra minister and senior leader of the NCP led by Ajit Pawar, was killed after being shot by three individuals in Bandra East, Mumbai, on October 12 evening. The 66-year-old politician was shot in the chest after which he was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital where he succumbed to the injuries. The leader had received a death threat just 15 days ago and was under ‘Y’ category security.
The Mumbai Police, in a statement, confirmed that the firing took place outside the office of his MLA son, Zeeshan Siddique, near Colgate Ground in Nirmal Nagar. The Mumbai Police Crime Branch, probing the Baba Siddique murder case, had said the three suspected shooters involved in the assassination of the senior NCP leader were in contact with Anmol Bishnoi.
It added that the shooters, mastermind Praveen Lonkar were in contact with Anmol Bishnoi on Snapchat. So far, the police arrested 15 accused in the case and are still searching for alleged masterminds Gautam, Zeeshan Akhtar, and Shubham Lonkar. The key shooter, Shivkumar Gautam, is also absconding.
Two accused, Ramphool Kanjoia and Nitin Sapre, during interrogation allegedly said that Anmol coordinated the attack. They said Anmol also provided the shooters with photographs of Baba Siddique and his son Zeeshan.
In April, Anmol openly claimed responsibility for the firing incident outside Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s residence in a Facebook post. He has been designated as an ‘absconding’ accused in a case filed by Navi Mumbai.
The Bishnoi gang – which shot to the spotlight after the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala in 2022 – came back in the headlines after the firing incident outside Salman Khan’s Bandra house in April. Security was tightened at his house after the incident as threats continued to pour – in the name of Lawrence Bishnoi – over the 1998 blackbuck hunting case.
Lawrence Bishnoi, Anmol Bishnoi, and Canada-based gangster Goldie Brar were named as accused in the firing case. In a nine-minute speech to instill courage in the shooters, Anmol had told them they were going to “script history”, the police said in its charge-sheet. In 2022, the Bishnoi brothers -among others – were accused of being part of a conspiracy to raise funds and recruit youth for “terrorist acts” in Delhi and other parts of the country.
(Manas Dasgupta)