Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 13: The Lawrence Bishnoi gang is believed to have claimed the responsibility for the murder of the former Maharashtra minister and Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Siddique who was shot dead outside his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Mumbai’s Bandra East on Saturday night.
The crime branch police has taken over the probe into the murder and is investigating the case from different angles including possible business rivalry, contract killing, and threat over a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project.
The police, however, is yet to confirm Bishnoi gang’s hand behind the murder. The police sources said they have seen the viral unverified post claiming the responsibility for Siddique’s murder due to his links with actor Salman Khan but were yet to verify the claim. “We have seen the viral social media post. We are verifying the authenticity and context,” said top sources in the Mumbai Police.
Siddique, 66, was waylaid by three men at Kher Nagar in Mumbai’s Bandra area just outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique’s office and shot at on Saturday night. The former Maharashtra minister was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead. “The pistol used for shooting Siddique was sent to accused via a courier. It was a prepaid order,” said sources. “The earlier plan was to attack Siddique during Ganeshotsav, but they couldn’t execute it. Earlier as well, the accused had tried to attack Siddique multiple times. The Mumbai Police in touch with their counterparts in UP, Delhi and Haryana to help them with the case,” they added.
According to the police, three shooters were involved in the murder. Out of the three, two have been arrested – Gurmail Baljit Singh, 23, from Haryana and Dharamraj Kashyap, 19, from Uttar Pradesh – and the third has been identified as Shiv Kumar Gautam, also from UP. A fourth person, believed to be the handler, is also on the run.
The incident, which unfolded around 9:30 pm, saw Mr Siddique and his associate targeted by assailants who fired multiple rounds, fatally striking the politician in the chest. Hours after the shooting, the notorious Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for the assassination through a social media post. Central agencies are now investigating the post, reportedly linked to a Facebook account belonging to Shubuu Lonkar, who, sources suggest, may actually be Shubham Rameshwar Lonkar – an associate of the Bishnoi gang.
Shubham Lonkar was arrested earlier this year from Maharashtra’s Akola for possession of illegal weapons and is believed to have strong connections with the Bishnoi network. During police interrogation, Shubham confessed to communicating with Anmol Bishnoi, Lawrence’s close brother, through video calls, linking him to the notorious gang leader.
The Mumbai Police has arrested two accused so far in connection to the killing of Baba Siddique. As per police, the two accused have been identified as Gurmail Singh, a native of Haryana and Dharamraj Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh who were in Mumbai and were keeping a close eye on Siddique. Mothers of both accused have said they were not aware of what their sons were up to and had not been in contact with them.
The investigation into Mr Siddiqui’s murder has also revealed that Dharamraj Kashyap and Shiv Kumar Gautam, hail from Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich. Both are neighbours and reportedly worked as labourers in Pune before being lured into the criminal underworld. Bahraich Superintendent of Police (SP) Vrinda Shukla confirmed that while Dharamraj has been arrested, Shiv Kumar remains on the run. Neither had a criminal record in their hometown, but sources indicate they aimed to gain notoriety by associating with the Bishnoi gang, a connection allegedly forged during their time in a Punjab jail.
But the Haryana-resident Gurmail Baljit Singh, accused of being one of the Siddique’s shooters has a prior criminal history including a murder case against him, police said on Sunday. Twenty-three-year-old Singh’s family said they disowned him 11 years ago and have called for exemplary punishment for his actions.
The suspects had been monitoring Mr Siddique for months, conducting reconnaissance of his residence and office, police said. The police revealed that the suspects had been paid ₹ 50,000 each in advance for the hit and that arms had been delivered to them only days before the assassination through a prepaid courier.
Both arrested suspects are now in police custody, and the hunt for the others continues. The security of the chief minister Eknath Shinde, his two deputy chief ministers and other ministers have also been strengthened following Siddique’s murder. Mumbai Police have also heightened the security around Salman Khan’s residence – the site at which a shooting incident took place.
On the night of April 14, Mumbai’s Bandra neighbourhood was rocked by the sound of gunfire as two men on motorbikes fired multiple rounds outside Mr Khan’s residence. The accused, associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, were charged with conspiracy to murder and other grave offences. According to the charge sheet, the Bishnoi gang had issued a contract worth ₹ 25 lakh to assassinate the actor. The plan was hatched over several months, from August 2023 to April 2024.
In the wake of Baba Siddique’s murder Salman Khan’s security has been boosted three times. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel have been deployed outside the actor’s house, while policemen have been deployed in every corner of the road leading to his residence. Actor Salman Khan was accused of hunting and killing two blackbucks in Rajasthan during the shoot of his film – Hum Saath Saath Hai – in 1998. He was sentenced to five years in jail but was later granted bail. Blackbucks are considered holy by the Bishnoi community.
In his interview from Tihar Jail in 2023, Bishnoi had stated on camera that his only purpose in life was to kill Salman Khan. “We don’t want money. We just want him to visit our community temple and apologise to us. He humiliated my entire community by poaching a blackbuck. There is even a case against him but he has just refused to apologise,” Bishnoi had said in the interview.
The 31-year-old Bishnoi is involved in several murder and extortion cases. He came to limelight after his associate Brar claimed the responsibility of Moosewala’s murder, and said he planned the attack with Bishnoi, who was then in Tihar. In April, gunshots were fired outside actor Salman Khan’s residence in Bandra. The two suspects later confessed to their link to the Bishnoi gang.
Last year in November, Bishnoi had posted a message on Facebook addressing Punjabi singer Gippy Grewal, which read, “You consider Salman Khan a brother, but now it’s time for your ‘brother’ to come and save you. This message is also for Salman Khan – don’t be in the illusion that Dawood will save you; no one can save you. Your dramatic response to Sidhu Moosewala’s death did not go unnoticed. We all know the kind of person he was and the criminal associations he had… You’ve now landed on our radar. Consider this a trailer; the full film will be released soon. Flee to any country you wish, but remember, death doesn’t require a visa; it comes uninvited.”
In March 2023, Khan’s manager received a threat email, following which an FIR was registered against Bishnoi and his associate and Canada-based gangster, Goldy Brar, and one Mohit Garg. The email referred to the interview Bishnoi had given from Tihar jail, issuing the death threat. The email sent from Garg’s ID said Brar wanted to talk to the actor “face to face.” It said while information has been passed on this time, the next time, there would be consequences.
In June 2022, a threat letter was kept on the Bandra Bandstand where the actor’s father, Salim Khan, goes for a walk. The letter referred to the murder of Sidhu Moosewala in May that year, allegedly by Bishnoi gang, and threatened the actor of meeting the same fate as the singer-turned-politician of Punjab. In 2018, during a court appearance, Bishnoi had made a statement, “We will kill Salman Khan in Jodhpur. Everyone will know once we take action. I have not done anything as of now, they are accusing me of crimes for no reason.”
Baba Siddique’s murder has triggered a political slugfest between the BJP and Opposition parties. While the BJP has asked not to politicise the murder, the Opposition, Congress in particular, has claimed a “complete collapse of law and order in Maharashtra.”
Mr Siddique enjoyed comradeship across party lines, therefore, his killing has drawn widespread condemnation from across the political spectrum, with senior politicians offering condolences while expressing outrage over the escalating violence in Maharashtra.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was among the first to react, calling Mr Siddique’s murder “shocking beyond words.” In a statement released on X, Mr Kharge said, “The tragic demise of former Maharashtra Minister, Baba Siddique, is shocking beyond words. In this hour of grief, I offer my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and supporters. Justice must be ensured, and the present Maharashtra government must order a thorough and transparent investigation. The culprits must be brought to book at the earliest. Accountability is paramount.”
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, expressed similar sentiments. “The tragic demise of Baba Siddique ji is shocking and saddening. My thoughts are with his family in this difficult time. This horrifying incident exposes the complete collapse of law and order in Maharashtra. The government must take responsibility, and justice must prevail,” Mr Gandhi wrote about his former colleague on X.
“Siddique’s murder is “shocking and shameful” for the State,” NCP(SP) State president Jayant Patil said. “Atrocities against women continue in the State and gang war has become a routine in a city like Pune. It has become clear that law and order in the State has reached its lowest. If a leader from the ruling alliance is not safe, how can the government keep the common man safe?” he said. In a statement, Mr Patil also noted that earlier a BJP MLA in the State had opened fire in a police station while a former corporator was killed during a Facebook live session.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin expressed shock over the murder and said such acts have no place in civil society. “Deeply shocked and saddened by the brutal murder of Baba Siddique. Such acts of violence have no place in civil society and deserve the strongest condemnation,” Chief Minister Stalin said. “My heartfelt condolences to his family and party colleagues,” he added.
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar said the people of Maharashtra were eager for a political change and expressed confidence that the sentiment will be reflected in the outcome of the upcoming state assembly polls.
Addressing a press conference here along with leaders of the other Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents, Mr Pawar claimed that the state administration, which was considered the best in the country, was demoralised under the Mahayuti regime. “We want to make people free from the present government and I am confident they will support us,” he said, adding that in the upcoming state elections, the MVA will repeat its Lok Sabha poll performance.
