The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has secured a further seven days of custody of international gangster Anmol Bishnoi, younger brother of imprisoned gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi.
Due to heightened security concerns, the NIA judge travelled to the agency’s headquarters to conduct the hearing, which was shifted from the court following perceived threats to the accused.
Bishnoi will now remain in NIA custody until 5 December.
This follows the special court’s earlier decision on 19 November to place him in NIA custody for 11 days.
Investigators say Anmol is a significant figure within the BKI–Bishnoi criminal network and allegedly helped manage its activities. His suspected links to Khalistani elements and his wider connections within the syndicate remain central to the ongoing inquiry.
The case for the agency was presented by NIA counsel Rahul Tyagi.
Defence lawyers contended that the agency already had access to all necessary material related to the accused and that further custodial questioning was unwarranted. They maintained that there was no direct evidence tying him to the allegations and that he was prepared to cooperate.
The court, however, dismissed the plea and granted the extension.
Extradition and Arrest After Years on the Run
On 19 November, the day he was first produced in court, Anmol, who had been living in the United States, was flown back to India and arrested upon landing.
Having been on the run since 2022, he is the 19th individual detained in connection with the alleged terror syndicate headed by Lawrence Bishnoi.
The NIA noted that Anmol had been chargesheeted in March 2023 after investigators found that between 2020 and 2023, he played a major role in aiding designated terrorist Goldy Brar and his associates in carrying out violent activities in India.
According to the agency, Anmol continued to direct operations from the United States. His activities allegedly included:
- Coordinating with gang members,
- Arranging logistical support,
- Securing safe houses for shooters, and
- Managing extortion rackets targeting prominent individuals in India
The NIA said it is further probing the broader network linking terrorists, gangsters, and arms suppliers, focusing on how these groups collaborate and raise funds.
Anmol Bishnoi is implicated in several criminal cases. These include conspiracy in the murder of former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Baba Siddique. Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai in October last year.
He is also being investigated in connection with the firing outside actor Salman Khan’s Bandra residence in April last year.
Bishnoi is further suspected of having a role in the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. The Moosewala case remains one of the most prominent incidents linked to the Bishnoi–Brar syndicate.
In November 2024, Bishnoi was arrested in California for allegedly entering the United States using fraudulent documents.
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