Mumbai, July 10, 2026: The special MCOCA court on Friday came down heavily on the Mumbai Police for its inaction in bringing Anmol Bishnoi, brother of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, before the court to prosecute him in NCP leader Baba Siddique's murder case.
Siddique, 66, was shot dead by three assailants outside his son Zeeshan's office in Mumbai's Bandra (East) area on the night of October 12, 2024. The special court on Friday heard arguments on the plea filed by Siddique's wife, Shehzeen.
Through her lawyers, Pradip Gharat and Trivankumar Karnani, she moved a plea alleging that the Mumbai Police was avoiding bringing Bishnoi before the court and interrogating him due to external pressure. She prayed for directions to the prosecution to secure the custody of Anmol.
Court Pulls Up Mumbai Police
Special MCOCA Judge Satyanarayan Navander, after hearing the arguments, directed the Mumbai Police to scrupulously follow the procedure for securing the presence of the absconding accused, including Anmol Bishnoi, who is wanted in the Baba Siddique murder case.
“Securing the custody of an accused, conducting investigation, interrogating the accused and placing him on trial are the exclusive responsibilities of the investigating agency and the law enforcement agencies. The court is not expected to remind the investigating agency of its statutory duties, particularly in a prosecution relating to a serious offence of murder,” the court said.
Expressing its displeasure over the Mumbai Police's inaction, the court said, “It is indeed an unfortunate situation that this Court is required to issue directions to ensure compliance with the procedure for securing the presence of an absconding accused.”
Video Conferencing Suggested
During the hearing, the prosecution expressed its inability to secure Anmol's custody due to the order passed by the Government of India on December 5, 2025, whereby the removal of Anmol from prison was restrained for a year or until the conclusion of the trial in a case registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against him and others.
The court, however, said, “We are living in an era of advanced digital technology. Video conferencing has become an integral part of the judicial process and is being regularly utilised by trial courts as well as correctional institutions throughout the country. It is routinely employed for the production of accused persons, recording of evidence and even for conducting effective cross-examinations.”
Under these circumstances, the court said, “If the accused continues to remain in judicial custody at Tihar Jail, there is no legal impediment to secure his production before this Court through video conferencing, whenever required.”
“The accused can be formally arrested in the present case with the permission of the competent Court and, if necessary, interrogated while remaining in judicial custody after obtaining appropriate permission from the court concerned in Delhi. No provision of law or jail rules has been brought to the notice of this Court which prohibits the investigating agency from adopting such a course. Unfortunately, the investigating agency appears to have completely overlooked these lawful avenues available to it,” the court said, reprimanding the Mumbai Police.
Joint Trial Emphasised
The court further noted that not arresting Anmol and prosecuting him along with the other accused may hamper the prosecution's case.
“It is always desirable that all persons alleged to have participated in the same offence are tried together, as a joint trial. It not only avoids conflicting findings but also enables the Court to appreciate the entire prosecution case in its proper perspective. If the investigating agency continues to wait indefinitely for physical custody of the absconding accused, the valuable object of a joint trial would stand frustrated,” the court said.
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The court further added that a subsequent separate trial of Anmol Bishnoi could adversely affect the trial as “with the passage of time, evidence becomes weak, memories fade and valuable evidence may even disappear.”
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