NIA announces Rs 10 lakh bounty on Lawrence Bishnoi's brother
New Delhi, Oct 25: The NIA has announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information leading to the arrest of Anmol Bishnoi, the younger brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, officials said on Friday.
Anmol Bishnoi, who is under the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) radar for his alleged involvement in a firing incident outside actor Salman Khan's Mumbai residence in April, has also been put on the anti-terror agency's most wanted list, they said.
The bounty on Anmol Bishnoi alias Bhanu -- believed to be living in Canada and making regular travels to the US -- was announced last month, the officials said.
Anmol Bishnoi is also allegedly said to be behind the murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique on October 12 in Mumbai's Bandra, they said.
A Mumbai court recently denied bail to one of the two accused involved in the firing incident outside Khan's residence, saying they did so with the "intention or knowledge" to kill Khan on Anmol Bishnoi's instigation.
Both Anmol Bishnoi and Lawrence Bishnoi, who hail from Fazilka in Punjab, have been shown as wanted accused in the case.
Lawrence Bishnoi is currently lodged in a jail in Sabarmati in Gujarat.
A lookout circular was also issued in April against Anmol Bishnoi, who had claimed responsibility for the firing incident outside Khan's residence.
An FIR was also registered by the NIA against nine accused, including both the Bishnoi brothers, in August 2022 for being part of a conspiracy to "raise funds, recruit youth to carry out terrorist acts in the Union Territory of Delhi and other parts of the country" besides "targeted killings of prominent persons".
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KSDL invites innovative technology to check sandalwood theft
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has invited farmers, scientists and organisations to come up with innovative technologies to prevent sandalwood theft in the state.
The state-owned Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), which manufactures Mysuru Sandal Soap has also planned sandalwood cultivation, state Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil said on Thursday.
"In a bid to promote sandalwood cultivation, the KSDL has planned a major initiative. As part of it, farmers, scientists, and organisations possessing information on advanced equipment or innovative technologies to prevent sandalwood theft have been invited to approach KSDL and share the details," Patil said in a statement.
Those interested in this initiative will be given an opportunity to demonstrate such technologies before the organisation, the minister said, adding if the proposed solutions are found suitable and effective, steps will be taken for consideration and implementation.
Patil stated that the cost involved in deploying technologies aimed at preventing sandalwood theft would be borne by KSDL.
Further, with a view to encouraging sandalwood cultivation, four farmers who have supplied the highest quantity of sandalwood to KSDL will be honoured with awards on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar on June 4, he said.
On the same occasion, police personnel and forest officials who have made notable progress in apprehending sandalwood thieves and registering cases, along with members of the public who have provided credible information leading to such action, will also be recognised and rewarded, the minister added.
Patil observed that farmers cultivating sandalwood trees on their lands have been facing increasing threats due to theft in recent years. Illegal felling and theft of sandalwood trees have continued for decades.
Although stringent laws are in place to curb such activities, the number of cases resulting in convictions remains very low, he noted.
"In this context, it becomes the responsibility of the organisation to extend both legal and technical support to farmers and encourage them to take up sandalwood cultivation on a larger scale," he said.
According to him, over the past three years, KSDL has procured 174.5 metric tonne of sandalwood directly from farmers across the state and transferred Rs 6.08 crore to their respective accounts.
