Shahzeen Ziauddin Siddique, daughter of slain Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, has filed a detailed application before a special court in Mumbai, demanding immediate custody of prime accused Anmol Bishnoi for interrogation and trial. The petition, filed on 4 July, alleges that the Mumbai Crime Branch has failed to take meaningful steps to secure Bishnoi's presence despite identifying him as the principal accused in its chargesheet.

What the Petition Demands

Shahzeen has urged the special court to direct the Mumbai Crime Branch to produce Anmol Bishnoi before the court so that he can stand trial alongside the other accused. Her advocates, Pradip Gharat and Trivankumar Karnani, argued that Bishnoi's interrogation could reveal the actual motive behind the murder, the larger conspiracy, and the identities of those who allegedly orchestrated the killing. The petition contends that without his inclusion, the trial remains incomplete.

The Iowa Custody Claim and Alleged Inaction

According to the application, the Siddique family independently gathered information suggesting that Anmol Bishnoi was at one point in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security in the US state of Iowa. The family claims this information was shared with investigating officers, but the Mumbai Crime Branch allegedly did not act with the urgency required to initiate extradition or related legal processes. The family also filed a request under the Right to Information (RTI) Act seeking details on steps taken, but the investigating officer declined to provide information, citing confidentiality. A subsequent appeal before the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) was also turned down.

Bishnoi's Arrival in India and the NIA Custody Window

The petition states that US authorities subsequently sent Anmol Bishnoi to India, where he was taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with a separate matter. He was later remanded to judicial custody after the NIA concluded its investigation. Shahzeen has argued that this presented a clear opportunity for the Mumbai Crime Branch to seek his custody and interrogate him in the Baba Siddique murder case — an opportunity that, according to the petition, was not acted upon.

Gaps in the Investigation, Per the Family

While 27 accused have been arrested and charges have been framed — with the three shooters detained shortly after the incident — the family alleges the probe failed to uncover the full motive or expose the broader conspiracy. Shahzeen's brother, Zeeshan Siddique, a witness in the case, had reportedly named certain individuals in his statement whom investigators should have questioned. According to the petition, the Mumbai Crime Branch neither examined those individuals nor pursued leads based on his inputs, raising what the family describes as doubts over the impartiality of the investigation.

What the Court Has Asked

During an earlier hearing, the special court had sought clarification from the Special Public Prosecutor on the steps taken to secure Anmol Bishnoi's presence. According to the application, the prosecution did not provide a satisfactory response. The petition also warns that if Bishnoi is arrested at a later stage, the trial may need to be conducted afresh, causing unnecessary delays and additional burden on judicial resources. Shahzeen has requested that he be included in the ongoing proceedings without further delay. It must be noted that all allegations in the petition are the petitioner's claims before the court, and no judicial findings have yet been recorded on them.