New Delhi: The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has reportedly claimed responsibility for the assassination of former Maharashtra minister and three-time MLA Baba Siddique. The gang has also issued a warning that anyone assisting Bollywood actor Salman Khan will be targeted.
Baba Siddique was killed near his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Bandra East on Saturday night. Speculation about the Bishnoi gang’s involvement began circulating soon after the incident. Confirmation came on Sunday through a Facebook post by an individual identified as Shibu Lonkar, believed to be gang associate Shubham Rameshwar Lonkar.
In the post, Lonkar alleged that Siddique was killed due to his connections with India’s most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, his close relationship with Salman Khan, and the death of Anuj Thapan—a suspect in a previous shooting outside Salman Khan’s residence—while in police custody.
Thapan was found dead on May 1 in the Mumbai Crime Branch lock-up. While police reported his death as a suicide, his family has accused authorities of custodial torture.
“We do not have any enmity with anyone, but whoever helps Salman Khan and the Dawood gang should settle their accounts (‘hisab-kitaab kar lena’),” Lonkar wrote in Hindi on Facebook. Police are currently verifying the authenticity of the post.
Baba Siddique was well-known for hosting lavish events, including an ‘Iftar’ party in 2013 that famously reconciled Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan after a five-year feud. Following the shooting, Salman Khan visited the hospital where Siddique was admitted and later went to his residence.
Police sources indicate that at least two celebrities have been attacked by the Bishnoi gang over perceived closeness to Salman Khan since last year. In November 2023, shots were fired at the home of Punjabi singer Gippy Grewal in Vancouver, Canada. The Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility, stating it was due to Grewal’s praise of Salman Khan.
Grewal responded by saying he had only met the actor twice. Similarly, in September this year, shots were fired near the residence of Punjabi singer AP Dhillon in Vancouver. Rohit Godara, a notorious member of the Bishnoi gang, claimed the attack occurred after Dhillon released a music video for his song ‘Old Money,’ which featured Salman Khan.
Why Salman Khan?
The Bishnoi gang gained notoriety after claiming responsibility for the 2022 murder of musician Sidhu Moose Wala. The gang has expressed intentions to harm Salman Khan due to his alleged involvement in the poaching of blackbucks in September 1998 near Jodhpur during the filming of ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain.’ The blackbuck is considered sacred by the Bishnoi community.
During a court appearance in 2018, Lawrence Bishnoi stated, “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.”
Heightened Security
In response to these threats, security has been intensified around Salman Khan’s residence, Galaxy Apartments in Bandra, where a shooting incident occurred on April 14. Khan informed police that he believed the attack was orchestrated by the Bishnoi gang with intentions to harm him and his family.
Additional security measures have been implemented in South Mumbai’s Malabar Hill, home to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. Baba Siddique, a longtime member of the Congress party, had joined Ajit Pawar’s faction earlier this year.
