The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has taken responsibility for the murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, while also sending a direct threat to Bollywood star Salman Khan.
The gang, which has long had Salman in its sights, issued a stern warning through a Facebook post allegedly made by Shubu Lonkar, an associate of the gang.
In the post, Lonkar linked Siddique’s killing to the death of Anuj Thapan, who had died by suicide on May 1 while in custody. Thapan was arrested after firing shots outside Salman Khan’s apartment in Mumbai on April 14. The post claimed that Salman Khan was responsible for Anuj Thapan’s death, and that Siddique's murder was related to his connections with Dawood Ibrahim and Anuj Thapan in Bollywood, politics, and property dealings.
“We did not want this war, but you made our brother lose his life,” the post read, addressing Salman. “We have no personal enmity, but anyone aiding Salman Khan or the Dawood gang should be prepared for retaliation.”
While the police have not yet confirmed the authenticity of the Facebook post, they have arrested Pravin Lonkar, Shubham’s brother, who is suspected of being a co-conspirator in the murder. The search for Shubham continues.
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Baba Siddique, 66, a former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader, was gunned down by three assailants outside his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Kher Nagar, Bandra, on Saturday night. Despite being rushed to Lilavati Hospital, Siddique was declared dead upon arrival.
According to the crime branch, Pravin Lonkar and Shubham enlisted two shooters, Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh and Shivkumar Gautam, with Gautam currently on the run. The police have arrested Kashyap along with another suspect, Gurmail Baljit Singh, a 23-year-old from Haryana.
Salman Khan, who was a close friend of Siddique, rushed to the hospital on Saturday night to support the family. He also visited Siddique’s house on Sunday to pay his respects. The late politician was well-known in Bollywood for his grand Iftar parties, one of which famously helped Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan reconcile after a five-year feud.
Salman Khan has been a target of the Bishnoi gang ever since Lawrence Bishnoi threatened him over his involvement in the 1998 Blackbuck poaching case, where Salman allegedly killed animals sacred to the Bishnoi community. Earlier this year, Salman received threats via e-mail, and on April 14, two men fired shots outside his residence in Mumbai. Several arrests followed, including Anuj Thapan, who later died in custody on May 1.
Police continue to investigate the case, while also ensuring increased security around Salman Khan amid these renewed threats from the Bishnoi gang.
