Baba Siddique case: Court raps police over delay in Anmol Bishnoi's custody
A special court in Mumbai on Friday pulled up the city police for not taking custody of jailed gangster Anmol Bishnoi in the Baba Siddique
A special court in Mumbai on Friday pulled up the city police for not taking custody of jailed gangster Anmol Bishnoi in the Baba Siddique murder case, and directed them to take all legal steps to secure his presence. The court, hearing a plea by Siddique's family, also sought a strict compliance report by July 24. Special MCOCA Judge Satyanarayan R Navander said the court was not expected to remind the police of their duties in a serious murder case. "Securing the custody of an accused, conducting investigation, interrogating the accused and placing him on trial are the exclusive responsibilities of the investigating agency and the law enforcement authorities," the court said.
Read Full Story Siddique, 66, a former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader, was shot dead by three assailants outside his son Zeeshan's office in Mumbai's Bandra East on the night of October 12, 2024. Anmol, younger brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, was deported from the US in November last year and was later arrested by the Investigation Agency. He is currently lodged in Tihar jail in New Delhi. The Siddique family moved the court last week, seeking directions to the police to take Bishnoi's custody, and alleged that they were avoiding it because of "external pressure".
The investigating agency, in a written reply, denied any deliberate evasion. It said it was ready to take physical custody of Bishnoi if permitted by law, but pointed to operational hurdles. The judge, however, said the accused could be formally arrested in the present case with permission from the competent court. The court also said that, if needed, he could be questioned while remaining in judicial custody after appropriate permission from the court concerned in Delhi. "Unfortunately, the investigating agency appears to have completely overlooked these lawful avenues available to it," the court remarked.
It also said, "It is indeed an unfortunate situation" that the court had to issue directions for securing the presence of an absconding accused. The court directed the investigating agency to strictly follow the procedures laid down under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita to secure Bishnoi's presence, while making it clear that the police must carry out their statutory duties in the murder case without being reminded by the court. Ends
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