Gangster Anmol Bishnoi among 200 Indians deported by US

The United States has deported 200 Indian nationals — including wanted gangster Anmol Bishnoi, two fugitives sought in Punjab, and dozens of undocumented migrants — in one of the largest coordinated return operations involving Indian citizens.

The flight, which took off from the US, is scheduled to land at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 10 am on November 19, officials confirmed.

Bishnoi, younger brother of jailed gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi, faces multiple high-profile criminal charges across India, including the murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique and the April 2024 firing outside actor Salman Khan’s Mumbai residence.

Fake passport, covert escape and global trail

Intelligence sources said Anmol fled India in April 2022 on a forged passport — just weeks before singer Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead on 29 May. Investigators believe he travelled on fraudulent Russian documents and shuttled between the US and Canada while continuing to oversee gang operations through encrypted channels.

He was eventually tracked and detained in California last year and placed under an ankle monitor, a GPS-enabled device used to supervise suspects under judicial watch. His final deportation is being executed from Louisiana, officials said.

Victim’s family pressed US authorities for action

NCP leader Zeeshan Siddique, son of the late Baba Siddique, confirmed receiving an email informing him that Anmol had been “removed” from US soil.

The family had registered as “victim contacts” with US agencies, entitling them to official updates. Zeeshan said he repeatedly wrote to American officials detailing his father’s killing and the alleged involvement of the Bishnoi network.

He has also asked Maharashtra’s Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Union Minister Devendra Fadnavis to review his security following recent developments.

Agencies prepare for custody race after landing

Mumbai Police earlier sent two proposals seeking Anmol’s extradition, citing multiple pending cases. With his return now imminent, the Union government will decide which agency takes custody first.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) — increasingly involved in investigating gang-linked interstate terror networks — is seen as a strong contender.

Investigators have also obtained details of the fraudulent documents Anmol allegedly used to travel across North America.

Case background: Murder of Baba Siddique

Former minister Baba Siddique, 66, was shot dead on 12 October 2024 outside his son’s Bandra office. Several accused linked to the Bishnoi syndicate have since been arrested.
Mumbai Crime Branch officials maintain that Anmol was the key planner, directing attackers from abroad through secure communications.

Also wanted in Salman Khan firing case

Anmol is an accused in the April 2024 shooting outside Salman Khan’s Galaxy Apartments, where two gunmen fired shots before fleeing on a motorbike.

Investigators recovered audio instructions and chat logs believed to have been sent by Anmol, suggesting remote coordination of the operation.

Meanwhile, his brother Lawrence Bishnoi, lodged in Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Central Prison, continues to be viewed as the central figure of the Bishnoi crime syndicate.AY LIKE