Just hours before Anmol Bishnoi, a key accused in the murder of his father and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, lands in India, NCP leader and ex MLA Zeeshan Siddique said the gangster needs to be brought to Mumbai and questioned to find out who the real mastermind is.
Baba Siddique, who was also in the NCP, died after being shot outside Zeeshan Siddique's office in Mumbai's Bandra on October 12 last year. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang, headed by Anmol's brother, had taken responsibility for the killing, and Anmol was named the main plotter by the police in their chargesheet. Anmol is also wanted in connection with the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala in 2022 and the firing outside Salman Khan's Mumbai home in April 2024.
Anmol was arrested in the US in November last year, reportedly for entering the country illegally. Sources said he is expected to land in New Delhi around 10 am on Wednesday.
Speaking to NDTV on Tuesday evening, Zeeshan Siddique said he had been following up with the US authorities on Anmol for months and had explained to them that the gangster was wanted for his father's murder.
"So today we got a mail from them that Anmol Bishnoi is no longer with them and that the (US) federal government is removing him from the country. After I got that mail from them, I informed the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and the authorities," he said.
Asked about the likelihood of the anti-terror agency NIA (National Investigation Agency), and not the Mumbai Police, taking the gangster into their custody when he lands, Siddique said he has requested the Maharashtra chief minister and others to also get him to Mumbai and interrogate him.
"I am sure he will be brought to Mumbai as well. Anmol Bishnoi and my father had nothing to do with each other. So the fact that Anmol Bishnoi has done this and the Mumbai police has named him, it is essential for us to know who is the mastermind behind the murder. I believe that once he steps onto Indian soil, I am sure the legal system will give us justice," he said.
Siddique emphasised that there was no animosity between his father and Anmol, and there had to be someone who had asked the gangster to carry out the murder.
"This does seem like a contract killing. It's very essential for us to get the details. For society as a whole, it's very important for us to know because it is for the safety of everyone," he explained.
On what can be done to prevent such murders, Siddique said, "There has to be a better system of intelligence. There has to be a better system of interrogation. Instead of actually talking about the future, I think we should set this as an example. We should have brought him (to India) earlier, but better late than never."
"And now that he's actually being brought back to India, we must not waste more time. We need to find out who the person behind this was. That will set an example for the rest of the country so that nobody carries out such a gruesome murder and destroys somebody's family in a heartbeat," he added.
