NEW DELHI: Anmol Bishnoi, the younger brother of notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, is learnt to have applied for asylum in the US through his counsel. Bishnoi, detained last week, has been lodged at the Pottawattamie County prison in Iowa, sources said.
Known as ‘Squirrel Cage Jail’, the prison was referenced in an old radio programme called ‘Gang Busters’. The prison facility’s website had Anmol’s details and mentioned his name as Anmol Bishnoi. It said he was being investigated by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), which deals with cross-border crime and undocumented immigration.
While Anmol’s arrest in the US seems triggered by information shared by the Indian govt about his illegal entry into the country, sources, however, suggested that he may have deliberately surrendered to US authorities as a tactical move to seek asylum. This development came after Mumbai police initiated extradition proceedings against him.
Sources said before his detention, Anmol Bishnoi had applied for asylum through the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, a division of Department of Homeland Security. Now that he has initiated asylum proceedings through legal channels, it’s unlikely that he will be extradited to India or any other country.
The US legal system’s tendency to grant bail in such cases, coupled with the precedent set by gangster Goldy Brar’s release, raises the possibility that Anmol might evade extradition to India. Brar, too, has applied for asylum, sources said.
Also, there is a possibility that Canada police may try to get access to him in connection with some gang-related cases being investigated by RCMP.
FBI is learnt to be in the process of verifying Anmol’s identity, possibly through a voice sample or a DNA match, sources said. The US agency officials, who had earlier this month confirmed his presence in America, are in touch with Indian agencies for subsequent processes, including his deportation.
Anmol, who has a red notice issued against him by Interpol, is an accused in several high-profile cases, including the recent murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique and the firing incident outside Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s residence in Mumbai.
Anmol has also been accused of providing arms and logistical support to the shooters of Sidhu Moosewala who was killed on May 29, 2022.