NIA gets custody of Anmol Bishnoi for 7 more days

ANew delhi margaret court on sat extended the subject investigating Agency’s custody of gangster Anmol Bishnoi by seven more days over his role in a terror conspiracy case which he allegedly carried out at the behest of his brother and jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.The order remanding Bishnoi to custody was passed by Special Judge (NIA) Prashant Sharma of Patiala House Court. The hearing was held at the NIA headquarters after Bishnoi, through his counsel, Advocate Rajani, moved a plea claiming threat to his life and seeking protection from court.In his plea, Bishnoi claimed that certain social media accounts are uploading posts, threatening to kill him. He claimed that the said account users are purportedly issuing open threats on his life and hence, he needed adequate protection.The application sought the court’s directions to increase his security while he is being transported from the NIA headquarters to the court, stating that a bullet proof vehicle and jacket shall be provided to him during the transit.He also stated that an appropriate security audit and threat perception be carried out by the court in view of the alleged risks to his health.Meanwhile, NIA prosecutors, during Saturday’s hearing, initially sought a 10-day custody remand of Bishnoi, submitting their remand application in a sealed cover. Bishnoi’s counsels opposed the same, stating that all the evidence against him has already come on record and no further interrogation or recoveries was required.In the last hearing, while remanding him to 10 days’ custody after his extradition from USA, the court had observed, “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”.Observing that the allegations against Bishnoi were serious, the court said that the scope of investigation and evidence collected during investigation was very wide.The NIA, in its remand plea, had stated that 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 NIA said.On Bishnoi’s specific role, the agency said that he was involved in the conspiracy with the co-accused persons, including handling the finance deals of the gang and giving logistical support to the gangs. The NIA states that Anmol is alleged to be involved in extortion, harming the victims and identifying foot soldiers for carrying out targeted killings and furtherance of terror activities.The NIA stated that Anmol, who operated from abroad and is part of the terrorist-gangster syndicate, is involved in 11 criminal cases registered across 11 police stations.Meanwhile, Anmol’s counsel, Advocate Rajani, argued that all the investigating material is already in possession of NIA and nothing more was required to grant Anmol’s 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.Absconding since 2022, Bishnoi is the 13th co-accused person arrested for his involvement in the terror syndicate led by his jailed brother Lawrence Bishnoi.Anmol was chargesheeted by the NIA in March 203 after investigation revealed that he had actively aided designated terrorist Goldy Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi to carry out terrorist activities in the country during the period of 2020 to 2023.Bishnoi is also alleged of having involvement in the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique, shooting outside the house of Bollywood actor Salman Khan in Bandra and murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala.