CHANDIGARH: A Delhi court on Thursday sent gangster Lawrence Bishnoi to the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for 10 days. Bishnoi, who was lodged in Bathinda jail in connection with the killing of singer Sidhu Moosewala, was arrested by the NIA in connection with a case related to a conspiracy hatched by terror groups and criminal syndicates to carry out sensational crimes in different parts of the country.
Sources said that the NIA suspects that Bishnoi is involved with anti-India terror organisations. The agency took custody of Bishnoi from the high-security Bathinda Central Jail and took him to Delhi for questioning.
A senior jail officer said that the gangster was taken to the national capital under heavy security with two bullet proof vehicles among other police vehicles. Special Judge Shailendra Malik passed the directions after the agency moved an application saying his interrogation was required to unearth the larger conspiracy.
During the hearing, the court asked the agency, “What is the locus of NIA in the Moosewala murder case?” The NIA, while seeking Bishnoi’s custody for 12 days, replied that the material was coming from Pakistan and people like Moosewala are targets.
“An investigation into the larger aspect is being carried out, and links are being searched,’ the agency said.
Punjab Police on June 15 brought Bishnoi from Tihar Jail in Delhi for questioning in the Sidhu Moosewala murder case. Since then he was in the custody of the state police for different cases and was presently in judicial remand at Bathinda Jail.
The gangster is the main accused in the singer Sidhu Moosewala murder case as he is considered the mastermind. The NIA is probing the case from various angles such as his links with Delhi-NCR gangsters and terror outfits. Moosewala was shot dead on May 29 when he along with his friend and cousin, were travelling in Jawahar Ke village in Mansa when six shooters pumped bullets into him.