India, Aug. 13 -- The investigating officer in the Baba Siddique murder case on Wednesday denied disobeying the MCOCA court's directions to secure the custody of accused gangster Anmol Bishnoi. He argued that a central government order restricting Bishnoi's removal from Tihar Jail prevented his physical custody and that video-conferencing suggested by the court could not legally substitute his first physical presence in court.

Assistant commissioner of police Subhash Dhudhgaonkar was responding to a show-cause notice issued by Special Judge Satyanarayan Navander on August 5, after the court found that his conduct prima facie reflected deliberate disregard of its July 10 directions to make efforts to secure Bishnoi's custody.

The issue a...