The investigation into the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique has revealed disturbing details, linking the crime to a possible contract killing orchestrated by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Police sources have confirmed that a photo of Zeeshan Siddique, Baba Siddique’s son and a sitting MLA, was found on the phone of one of the accused involved in the shooting. The photo was allegedly shared through Snapchat by their handler, a method used by the conspirators to communicate before deleting the messages.
Baba Siddique was gunned down near his son’s office in Bandra, Mumbai, on October 12 by three shooters. Despite being rushed to Lilavati Hospital, he was declared dead shortly after. So far, nine people have been arrested in connection with the case, including two of the shooters. However, three suspects are still at large. Among those arrested are individuals accused of providing the shooters with firearms and logistical support.
The gang involved in the assassination is believed to be connected to the infamous Lawrence Bishnoi, a gangster with a notorious criminal history. According to police sources, the original contract to kill Siddique was given to Ram Fulchand Kanoujia and Nitin Gautam Sapre, but after they backed out, the task was handed over to Dharmraj Kashyap, Gurnail Singh, and Shivkumar Gautam. Kashyap and Singh were apprehended shortly after the shooting, but Gautam managed to escape.
The investigation has also revealed that the killers strategically targeted Siddique, believing that individuals from Uttar Pradesh, unfamiliar with his stature in Maharashtra, would take on the contract for less money. The involvement of Shubham Lonkar, who allegedly handled the shooters, has also come to light.
One of the more shocking revelations concerns the security lapse during the attack. Siddique’s personal security guard, who was present during the shooting, failed to retaliate, claiming that his vision had been impaired by a “chilli-like substance.” The constable has since been suspended.
The case has taken on a broader dimension as investigators also explore potential links to previous incidents involving the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, including the shooting outside actor Salman Khan’s residence earlier this year. The Mumbai Crime Branch is leaving no stone unturned in piecing together the connections between these criminal activities.
Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently in jail, has been implicated in multiple high-profile cases, including the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala. Despite being behind bars since 2015, Bishnoi is believed to be running a transnational crime syndicate, coordinating criminal activities like extortion and murder. The Mumbai police are now probing whether his gang played a central role in the assassination of Baba Siddique, a case that continues to unravel with each passing day.
