Baba Siddique murder: Mumbai Cops still uncertain about Lawrence Bishnoi’s role

MUMBAI: Police are grappling with conflicting theories in the murder of former Congress minister Baba Siddique, after jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's name surfaced in connection with the crime. Shubam Lonkar, alias Shubbu, recently claimed responsibility on behalf of Bishnoi's gang via social media, but authorities are questioning whether Bishnoi himself sanctioned the killing or if the contract was taken without his knowledge.

Lawrence Bishnoi, currently lodged in Gujarat's Sabarmati jail, has not been accessible to the police, leaving investigators uncertain about his direct involvement. There is suspicion that absconding accused Shubam Lonkar, Shivkumar Gautam and Zeeshan Akhtar may have accepted the contract independently. This could be one of the many reasons why the police believe that slum rehabilitation issue could be the reason for Siddique's murder.

The police are exploring this possibility as Bishnoi's gang leaders, including his brother Anmol Bishnoi and associate Rohit Godara, or Goldy Brar, who are based in Canada, have remained silent on the matter. Typically, they claim or deny involvement in the gang's activities, but their silence has raised doubts about the authenticity of Lonkar's statements.

In April this year, Anmol Bishnoi took the responsibility for the firing on Salman Khan's house. He ominously hinted that next time, the bullets won't be aimed at walls or an empty home, indicating a direct threat to the actor.

Another element fuelling police skepticism is Lonkar's background. He is a 12th-pass student from a Marathi school, and his limited proficiency in Hindi in Punjabi style raises questions about the authorship of his social media posts. Police suspect someone else may have written the posts and may have forwarded to Lonkar, who posted it on Facebook and later deleted it.


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