Special flight carrying gangster Anmol Bishnoi among 200 Indians deported by US lands at Delhi airport
Investigators say Anmol escaped India in April 2022 using a forged passport, just weeks before Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead
PTC Web Desk: In a major coordinated deportation exercise, the United States has repatriated 200 Indian nationals, including alleged gangster Anmol Bishnoi, two fugitives wanted in Punjab, and 197 undocumented migrants. The special flight landed at the Delhi airport around 2 pm. Earlier, the flight was scheduled to land at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 10 am on Wednesday, but was delayed.
Gangster Anmol Bishnoi was taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) moments after he was deported from the United States and arrived at Delhi’s IGI Airport. NIA officials were stationed at the airport in advance and formally arrested him as soon as he landed.
Who is Anmol Bishnoi?
Anmol Bishnoi, brother of jailed gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi, is wanted in multiple high-profile cases across India, notably the murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, and the April 2024 firing outside actor Salman Khan’s residence in Mumbai and also in that of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala.
Investigators say Anmol escaped India in April 2022 using a forged passport, just weeks before Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead. Intelligence sources believe he travelled across the US and Canada using fraudulent Russian documents while continuing to run overseas gang operations through encrypted channels.
Detained in the US under electronic monitoring
Anmol Bishnoi was detained in California last year and kept under strict supervision with an ankle monitor, a GPS-based tracking device commonly used for individuals on parole, bail, house arrest or court surveillance. Officials said his final deportation process is being carried out from Louisiana.
NCP leader Zeeshan Siddique, son of the late Baba Siddique, said his family kept in touch with American authorities through a registered victim-contact request and has now received official confirmation that Anmol has been “removed” from US soil. He urged the Central Government to ensure that Anmol is arrested immediately upon landing in India and said he had also sought enhanced security from top state leaders, including Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Union Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Agencies gear up for custody decision
The Mumbai Police had sent multiple proposals seeking Anmol’s extradition due to pending cases in Maharashtra.The Union Home Ministry will decide which investigative agency takes charge first. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is a strong contender given its ongoing probes into interstate terror–crime networks linked to the Bishnoi syndicate.
Anmol’s forged travel documents and suspected movements across North American cities form a significant part of the ongoing investigation.
Background of the cases
Former minister Baba Siddique, 66, was gunned down on October 12, 2024, outside his son’s Bandra office. Several members of the Bishnoi network were arrested in connection with the killing. The Mumbai Crime Branch maintains that Anmol was the key conspirator who directed the shooters from abroad using secure communication tools.
Anmol is also an accused in the Salman Khan firing case of April 2024, where two assailants fired outside Galaxy Apartments and escaped on a motorcycle. Investigators have recovered audio clips and chat logs allegedly showing that Anmol orchestrated the attack remotely.
His elder brother, Lawrence Bishnoi, currently lodged in Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Central Prison, is considered the kingpin of the wider Bishnoi crime syndicate.