MUMBAI: The crime branch of the Mumbai police has initiated extradition proceedings to bring back Anmol Bishnoi, brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, from the United States in connection with the shooting incident at actor Salman Khan’s Bandra residence. .

Read also: NIA announces $10 lakh reward for gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother Anmol Bishnoi, last seen in Canada

A senior police official confirmed that the special Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) court had already issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Anmol Bishnoi, along with a Red Corner Notification to facilitate his tracking in the foreigner.

Read also: Amid series of attacks, Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother on NIA radar

A red corner notice is a request from a member state of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to locate and arrest a wanted criminal. The official added that, in addition to the order, the police require certified copies of court documents to formalize the extradition process. The MCOCA special court approved their request on October 16 and police expect to receive the documents shortly. Once received, a formal proposal will be submitted to the central government for further action.

Read also: Salman Khan House Firing Case: Mumbai Court Says Anmol Bishnoi Instigated Shooters. Who is Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother?

Anmol Bishnoi, his elder brother Lawrence Bishnoi and gang associate Rohit Godara have been named wanted suspects in the dismissal case. Although Anmol Bishnoi was previously thought to reside in Canada and travel to the United States, recent findings place him in the United States. However, an IP address linked to a Facebook post, through which Bishnoi claimed responsibility for the incident, was traced to Portugal.

In a related move, the Mumbai Police also requested the central government to take custody of Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently detained in Sabarmati Jail, Gujarat, as they intensify efforts to crack the case.

The Mumbai Police claims to have obtained crucial evidence linking Anmol Bishnoi to the April shooting incident at actor Salman Khan’s residence in Bandra. According to officials, the shooter Vicky Gupta was in contact with Anmol regarding the attack and recorded their conversations, sending these recordings to his brother, Sonu Gupta, who has since become a key witness. The police submitted WhatsApp chats and audio recordings, including a conversation between Anmol and Gupta, as evidence before the court. A senior officer confirmed that Anmol’s voice in these recordings matched his official voice sample.

In a recent development, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) announced a reward of $10 lakh on October 25 to obtain information leading to Anmol’s location. Anmol is already accused in two NIA cases registered in 2022 and has come under increased scrutiny due to alleged connections to the murder of senior NCP politician Baba Siddique, a crime allegedly carried out by Bishnoi’s gang.

The shooting incident at Khan’s residence unfolded in the early hours of April 14, when two assailants fired multiple bullets into the actor’s home before fleeing the city. To date, police have arrested six people in connection with the case. The most recent arrest took place on May 14 and involved Harpal Singh, alias Harry, a 25-year-old from Haryana who allegedly financed the shooters. Others arrested include Mohammed Rafiq Sardar Choudhari and gunmen Vicky Kumar Gupta, 25, and Sagar Kumar Pal, 24. Another accused, Anuj Thapan, who had been detained by the Crime Branch, committed suicide on May 1. .

Sonu Subhashchandra Bishnoi, 37, was also arrested. According to the investigation, Thapan and Sonu Bishnoi met Gupta and Pal in Panvel on March 15 and provided them with two pistols and 38 live bullets, which they later used in the shootout.

Authorities revealed that Choudhari, an associate of the Bishnoi gang, filmed a video of Khan’s residence on April 12 and had been in communication with Rohit Godara, a key member of Lawrence Bishnoi’s network. Police recovered Choudhari’s mobile phone and with technical assistance recovered several deleted videos and photographs. During interrogation, Choudhari admitted to having received $3 lakh cash from a Bishnoi gang member, distributing them $2 lakh for shooters Gupta and Pal.

Gupta’s statements further implicate Anmol Bishnoi, and Sonu Gupta corroborated this by confirming that he received voice recordings from Gupta. Following Gupta’s arrest, Anmol allegedly called Sonu to assure him of his protection and vowed to support his brother.