NEW DELHI: Officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have met officers of the Indian law enforcement agencies to discuss the case of Anmol Bishnoi, the younger brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
The US embassy in New Delhi is reported to have confirmed about the meeting over Anmol, who has been under scrutiny for multiple serious criminal charges in India. He was detained in California last week.
A source in a law enforcement agency said that the meeting took place at the FBI’s New Delhi office, where the possibility of Anmol’s deportation or extradition was deliberated over.
Reportedly, a spokesperson for the US Embassy confirmed the engagement with Indian law enforcement agencies, saying, “US Embassy officials met with Indian law enforcement partners to discuss this case, and the Embassy remains in close contact with Indian officials.”
Anmol Bishnoi was detained by the US Immigration Department on November 14, 2024. The sources said that one of his travel documents was found to be forged, leading to his exposure. He had fled India to the US on May 15, 2022, using a fake passport under the alias “Bhanu”, they said, adding that the fraud was uncovered when US officials discovered that a reference letter attached to his travel documents was forged.
It is also learnt from the sources that the FBI held a 45-minute meeting with senior officials from multiple Indian agencies, including that of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the INTERPOL wing in India, to assess the evidence against Anmol.
The officials from both sides discussed Anmol's alleged criminal antecedents, including extortion and murder, as well as the possibility of his deportation back to India.
Anmol Bishnoi has been implicated in multiple serious criminal cases, including the 2022 firing outside Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s Mumbai residence. During their investigation into the incident, Mumbai Police had recovered an audio clip involving Anmol and a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, Vicky Gupta.
Anmol is also a key suspect in the October 12, 2024, murder of former Maharashtra Minister Baba Siddique. The Indian law enforcement agencies including Police forces of various states, including Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi, have also expressed interest in determining his role in other criminal operations linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.