Mumbai Police Tell Court Physical Custody of Anmol Bishnoi Needed in Siddique Case

The Mumbai Police Crime Branch has submitted a response to a court show-cause notice, stating that the physical custody of Anmol Bishnoi is essential to interrogate him regarding the conspiracy behind the murder of Baba Siddique. The police asserted in their filing in Mumbai that virtual proceedings conducted through video conferencing are insufficient and that physical presence is legally mandatory for the first production of an accused in the case.

The submission follows a contempt of court notice issued to police officers after they failed to secure Bishnoi's custody. The court proceedings were initiated after Baba Siddique’s wife, Shehzeen, filed a plea through her advocates Pradip Gharat and Trivankumar Karnani last month, requesting directions to compel the police to obtain Bishnoi's custody in connection with the murder case.

The court had previously allowed Shehzeen's plea and pulled up the Crime Branch for failing to take steps to arrest Bishnoi. Bishnoi was deported to India in November last year and is currently lodged in Tihar prison under the custody of a special National Investigation Agency court.

Following the court's earlier directions, the Mumbai Police obtained a production warrant and approached the special NIA court to transfer Bishnoi. However, the special court rejected the Mumbai Police plea, citing a government notification that restricts Bishnoi from being moved out of Tihar prison due to security reasons.

Because custody was not obtained, Shehzeen returned to court seeking contempt proceedings against the officers involved. The court subsequently issued show-cause notices directing the officers to explain their actions.

In its reply submitted on Wednesday, the Crime Branch explained that physical interrogation is necessary to determine how Bishnoi became the head of the syndicate and to establish the precise motive behind the murder. Investigators stated that physical questioning is critical to ascertain whether the crime was Bishnoi's brainchild or orchestrated by someone else.

Furthermore, the Crime Branch informed the court that physical custody is required to trace financiers, financial planning, and financial transactions connected to the offense. The police maintained that the investigating officer has acted diligently to gather the best possible evidence and has no intention of shielding the accused from prosecution. The court has scheduled the matter for a hearing next week.