Baba Siddique Killing: Shooters Claim To Be From Lawrence Bishnoi Gang

The two suspects arrested in connection with the murder of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique have claimed to be members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, according to police sources.

The investigation has revealed that the suspects were paid in advance and received their weapons just days before the attack.

Photo Credit: https://x.com/BabaSiddique

The 66-year-old politician was assaulted as he was leaving his office to head home in Bandra West on Saturday night. He later died from his injuries while receiving treatment. Two suspects have been arrested, while a third remains at large.

Teams from the Mumbai Crime Branch have travelled to five locations outside the state, including Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, in an effort to apprehend the third suspect.

The arrested individuals, identified as Gurmail Baljit Singh, 23, from Haryana, and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap, 19, from Uttar Pradesh, claimed during their interrogation that they were affiliated with the gang of Lawrence Bishnoi, a notorious criminal currently imprisoned, according to Crime Branch sources. The Bishnoi gang is alleged to have been involved in a shooting targeting Bollywood actor Salman Khan.

Officials stated that the suspects admitted to conducting surveillance of the area for the past 25 to 30 days in preparation for the murder.

Although the police have apprehended two suspects, the third individual directly involved in the shooting remains at large. Police sources revealed that all three suspects arrived at the scene by auto-rickshaw and waited for some time before opening fire on Siddique. Authorities also suspect that another individual, who was providing information to the attackers, was involved in the assassination.

The Suspected Bishnoi Involvement

Siddique had close ties with several Bollywood stars, including Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Sanjay Dutt. The Bishnoi gang has previously targeted individuals linked to Salman Khan, whom they have threatened with death due to his involvement in hunting a blackbuck, an animal considered sacred by the Bishnoi community.

Last year, the gang shot at the home of Punjabi singer Gippy Grewal in Canada after he appeared in an album with Salman Khan. The gang later posted on social media, claiming that Grewal treated Salman like a brother.

Sources have indicated that one of the gunmen who fired at Salman Khan's residence in April died under suspicious circumstances in a Mumbai police station, which reportedly angered the Bishnoi gang.

While Lawrence Bishnoi remains imprisoned, three wanted gangsters are continuing to run the organisation from the United States. Anmol Bishnoi, Lawrence's brother, based in the US, is said to be managing the gang and coordinating with the gunmen who targeted Salman's home, according to police reports.

Another gangster, Goldy Brar, linked to the gang, was involved in the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. A third individual, Rohit Godar, claimed responsibility for the shooting at Salman Khan's residence via social media.

Sources within the Delhi Police Special Cell, which is considering sending a team to Mumbai, believe the motive behind Siddique's murder was the gangster's desire to establish influence in Mumbai.

Baba Siddique, who represented the Bandra West seat three times in the state assembly, was a prominent political figure in Mumbai. He held the positions of Minister for Food and Civil Supplies and Labour under Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh between 2004 and 2008. Earlier this year, in February, he joined the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

Siddique's funeral is scheduled to take place on Sunday evening. His burial will be held around 8:30 pm at Bada Kabarastan in Mumbai's Marine Lines. The NCP has cancelled all party events planned for today in mourning for their leader's death.