US police confirm gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's brother Anmol's arrest, say he is held in Pottawattamie County Jail

Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's younger brother, Anmol, wanted for the murder of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique and firing outside actor Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s Mumbai home, has been arrested by US law enforcement authorities and is currently lodged in a prison in Iowa.

According to a recent update on the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement website, Anmol Bishnoi is lodged at Pottawattamie County Jail in Iowa.

Bishnoi's arrest a few days ago stemmed from information shared by the Indian government regarding his illegal entry into the US, sources were quoted as saying.

Bishnoi (25) is also accused of facilitating armaments and operational support to popular Punjab singer Sidhu Moosewala's assailants, who executed the singer in May 2022. He departed India using fraudulent documentation in April, preceding the singer's targeting.

Subsequently, he established residence in California alongside associates including Goldy Brar, sources were quoted as saying.

Anmol, who was believed to be living in Canada and making regular trips to the US, is the younger brother of Lawrence, who is accused of running a global criminal syndicate despite being in jail. Lawrence is currently lodged in Sabarmati Central Jail, Ahmedabad.

He is also allegedly behind the firing outside Bollywood actor Salman Khan's home located in the Bandra area on April 14 this year.

Meanwhile, officials were quoted as saying that India has asked for Anmol's extradition. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) also recently announced a reward of ₹10 lakh for information leading to Anmol’s arrest.

Earlier this week, the US State Department had declined to comment on the possibility of deporting Anmol, saying the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

"...it would be appropriate - if anyone is going to comment on such a report, it would be the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, not the State Department... They may - and they - and I prefaced it that way because they may decline to comment. But I certainly am not going to comment on something that falls within their jurisdiction," US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Nov 18.

In April, a lookout circular was issued against Anmol, who had claimed responsibility for the firing incident outside Salman Khan’s residence.

An FIR was also registered by the NIA against nine accused, including 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”.