MUMBAI, Oct. 22 -- Over two years after former Maharashtra minister and senior NCP leader Baba Siddique was shot dead in Bandra, a special MCOCA court on Wednesday asked Mumbai police to explain why they had not secured the presence of alleged mastermind Anmol Bishnoi in court, even though he is lodged in Tihar Jail. Special Judge Satyanarayan Navander asked the prosecution whether it had approached the central government to withdraw the order restricting Bishnoi's physical removal from prison. The central government order, issued on December 5, 2025 under Section 303 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), bars Bishnoi's removal from Tihar Jail for one year or until the completion of the trial in the specified case, whichever is earlier. The judge's question arose during a hearing on an application by Shehzeen Siddique, the slain NCP leader's widow, who sought action over the alleged failure to comply with the court's earlier orders. Siddique challenged the investigating officer's claim that the central government restriction prevented custodial interrogation, arguing that the police could produce him via video-conferencing and also obtain permission to question him inside the jail. The submission cited the Supreme Court's 2025 ruling in CBI vs Yasin Malik case, which dealt with a similar restriction on the accused's movement from Tihar. Special Public Prosecutor Mahesh Mule requested more time from the court, citing the absence of the case's investigating officer, ACP Subhash Dhudhgaonkar. On August 5, the court had issued a show-cause notice to Dhudhgaonkar after he had argued that video-conferencing could not substitute physical custody, without which the investigation would be hampered. The court called his explanation "wholly unsatisfactory". Advocate Pradeep Gharat, appearing for the intervener alongside advocate Trivankumar Karnani, countered Mule's request for more time by alleging that the prosecution was deliberately delaying proceedings. He pointed out that over three months had passed since the court's July 10 order, which directed police to take all legally available steps to secure Bishnoi's presence, including alternatives such as video-conferencing. After hearing both the sides, the court set October 28 as the deadline for the police to place on record the steps taken to secure Bishnoi's presence. Bishnoi is among the key accused in the investigation into Siddique's murder, which, police allege, involves a wider conspiracy linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Siddique was shot dead outside his son Zeeshan's office in Bandra East on October 12, 2024. Police arrested 27 accused in the case. Investigators say Anmol Bishnoi's physical custody is crucial to probe the conspiracy, identify other participants, and trace alleged financiers, weapons and digital communications. The next hearing in the case is slated for October 28....