The arrest of Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother, Anmol Bishnoi, in the United States is a major development, but he is unlikely to be extradited to Bharat first. Bishnoi was detained in the US last week, not in connection with a case related to Bharat but over a local reason.
Anmol resides in Canada and made a trip to the US on some personal work when he was detained. Sources tell Organiser that he may not be extradited to Bharat first, although all legal measures are being undertaken to ensure that the same happens. Since he has been residing in Canada, he is likely to be extradited to that country.
The source further added that his detention was due to some deficiency in documentation. It is, however, unclear whether he is still in the custody of the US authorities.
Anmol is wanted for the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddiqui and the firing that took place outside the residence of Bollywood actor Salman Khan. The Bishnoi gang has threatened to eliminate Khan for his alleged involvement in the killing of a Black Buck in Jodhpur while he was shooting for a film. The Bishnoi community reverses the Black Buck as their God.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that the possibility of Anmol being deported to Bharat from the US is bleak for the moment. The process of bringing back to Bharat will have to be initiated through Canada, and looking at how bleak the relations are with the country, it is unlikely that any extradition will take place soon.
The Canadian authorities would seek his extradition as an investigation against him in connection with the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar is currently on. Nijjar, a Khalistan terrorist, was gunned down in Canada, following which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made reckless allegations blaming Bharat for the killing. New Delhi has, however, ridiculed the allegation, following which diplomatic ties between the two nations sourced further.
The National Investigation Agency, which is working on the extradition, had earlier announced a Rs 10 lakh bounty on Anmol. A lookout circular had also been issued against him in April this year after he had claimed responsibility for the firing outside Salman Khan’s residence.
The NIA has also registered an FIR against him and ten others in 2022 for being part of a conspiracy to raise funds and recruit youth to carry out terror-related activities in Delhi.
A long wait in the offing
Anmol Bishnoi’s extradition will not be an easy one for Bharat. Although a Red Corner Notice has been issued against him by Interpol following a request by the NIA, New Delhi would still have to deal with Canada to have his extradition done.
Following his arrest, the law enforcement officials met with US Embassy officials to discuss the case. The US Embassy is in close contact with the law enforcement partners.
Officials point out that it will not be easy to convince Canada on this extradition request. There are already a dozen of them pending in Canada, most of which relate to the Khalistani terrorists enjoying patronage in that country. Canada has not responded to any of the requests, let alone move even a single file, official state.
These extraditions would depend a lot on the ties between the two countries. In the current situation, there seems to be no sight of any thaw in tensions. It may be possible if there is a change of guard in Canada because under Trudeau, ties are most unlikely to improve.
The tension between the two nations has not been restricted to the diplomatic levels. Even on the world stage, Bharat has maintained its distance from Canada. During the G20 Summit in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with several world leaders including US President Joe Biden. However, no meeting took place with Trudeau despite him attending the meeting. The meeting was a distant possibility, and no one had any expectations of any sort of engagement, considering the deteriorating relations between Bharat and Canada.
Ties between the two countries further nose-dived when Canada named Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Indian High Commissioner in the case relating to the killing of Khalistani terrorists. India even recalled its diplomats amidst the stand-off.
With the tensions high, Canada’s Transport Minister, Anita Anand, announced that travellers flying from Canada to Bharat would face heightened scrutiny. She cited an abundance of caution as the reason for the new protocols. While stating the change in rules, Anita Anand did not attribute the same to any specific incident or individual.
