Mumbai: Gangster Anmol Bishnoi, who is currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, has moved a plea before a special court in Mumbai, seeking to surrender in the 2024 Salman Khan residence firing case “in the interest of a fair trial and justice”.
Anmol, the younger brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, was deported from the US in November last year and was subsequently arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
He was wanted in several sensational cases, including the firing outside Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s Bandra residence, which is being investigated by the Mumbai police.
In the plea filed before a special MCOCA court, Anmol stated that he intended to voluntarily surrender before the court to “face the ongoing trial and join the judicial proceedings in the interest of fair trial and further in the interest of justice”.
He said he was already under the “physical control of law in another (NIA) matter” and could not physically appear before the court without an appropriate order passed by it. He asserted that, to formally record his surrender and facilitate virtual or physical remand proceedings in the current case, his presence before the court was essential.
Anmol urged the court to issue a production warrant to Tihar jail for his appearance.
“No prejudice will be caused to prosecution. In fact, it will expedite trial and legal proceedings and further prevent misuse of process of law,” his plea said.
The application pointed out that the trial in the case has begun and three witnesses have already been examined in his absence.
Bike-borne individuals, later identified as Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal, had allegedly carried out the firing outside Salman Khan’s Galaxy Apartment in Bandra on the morning of April 14, 2024.
Gupta, Pal, Sonukumar Bishnoi, Mohammad Rafiq Choudhari and Harpal Singh are currently in judicial custody. One accused, Anujkumar Thapan, committed suicide during police custody.
Lawrence Bishnoi is also a wanted accused in the case.
