Court Extends Custody of Anmol Bishnoi Amid Ongoing Investigation

Custody Extension Granted by Special NIA Judge

On Friday, a special judge from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) extended the custody of Anmol Bishnoi for an additional seven days, until December 12. This decision was made during a hearing held at the NIA headquarters, prompted by concerns for Bishnoi's safety.

Anmol Bishnoi, who was extradited from the United States, is the brother of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Previously, he had filed an application citing threats to his life, leading the court to conduct the hearing at the NIA headquarters.

Details of the Hearing

Judge Prashant Sharma visited the NIA headquarters for the proceedings. The NIA, represented by special public prosecutors Rahul Tyagi and Amit Rohila, requested an extension of Bishnoi's custody for further investigation. They argued that sensitive information had emerged during the questioning of Anmol Bishnoi, necessitating additional time.

Defense attorneys Rajni and Deepak Khatri opposed the extension of custody.

Court's Decision and Further Developments

Following the hearing, the special NIA judge approved the seven-day extension of custody. Anmol Bishnoi was presented before the judge after the previous custody period had lapsed. The special NIA court also accepted two applications requesting samples of Anmol Bishnoi's voice and handwriting.

Earlier in the day, the Punjab police approached the special NIA court seeking custody of Anmol Bishnoi, but the NIA's special public prosecutor opposed this request, emphasizing the need for further custody.

Allegations Against Anmol Bishnoi

The National Investigation Agency has accused the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and its associates of conspiring to raise funds for terrorist activities in Delhi and other parts of the country, as well as recruiting youth. The agency stressed the importance of uncovering this conspiracy.

On November 18, the court granted eleven days of custody, stating, "The role of the accused concerning the aspects mentioned in the application should be investigated. The investigation should cover the accused's involvement in the alleged conspiracy, evidence against him, methods used to commit the crime, sources of funding for the terrorist plot, and details of social media accounts responsible for claiming terrorist activities carried out by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang."