NEW DELHI: The brother of notorious jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, Anmol, who is wanted in India for several high-profile murder cases, has applied for political asylum in the United States following his arrest by immigration officers in that country last week. Sources indicated on Wednesday that this move might obstruct Indian agencies’ attempts to have him deported.
Notably, Anmol was first detained and subsequently arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in California for entering the country using fake documents. According to sources, ICE documents indicate that he is currently being held at the Pottawattamie County Jail in Iowa.
Interestingly, Anmol’s arrest might have been facilitated by information shared by the Indian government regarding his illegal entry into the US. Sources suggested that he may have deliberately allowed himself to be arrested by US authorities as part of a strategy to seek asylum.
This development is likely in response to efforts by the Mumbai Police to extradite him from the US in connection with multiple cases registered against him. However, sources added that this move diminishes the likelihood of the wanted gangster being deported to India or handed over to authorities in another country. Anmol has initiated asylum proceedings through legal channels, they said.
Indian agency officials noted that the US legal system tends to favor granting bail in such cases. They cited the precedent of Goldie Brar, who was arrested but later released by US authorities.
According to the agencies, Anmol fled India in 2023 using a fake passport and emerged as a key figure in the Bishnoi gang’s operations after his brother Lawrence was arrested. Anmol is wanted in multiple criminal cases, including the high-profile shooting outside Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s Mumbai residence and the 2022 murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala. More recently, his name has been linked to the October murder of former Maharashtra minister and veteran politician Baba Siddique.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also named Anmol as an accused in its charge sheets for two cases. In July, a Mumbai court issued a non-bailable warrant against him, and the NIA recently announced a reward of ₹10 lakh for information leading to his arrest.
