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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Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
