In a shocking turn of events, the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for the recent murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, further inflaming an ongoing feud with Bollywood icon Salman Khan. The chilling development has not only sent ripples through the world of Indian politics but also roused a specter of dread within Bollywood circles, particularly affecting Salman Khan, who has found himself in the gang’s crosshairs.
The alarming revelation came to light through a Facebook post allegedly penned by Shubu Lonkar, also known as Shubham Lonkar, an associate of the Bishnoi gang. In the post, the gang asserted that Siddique’s murder was a direct retaliation for the death of Anuj Thapan. Thapan died by suicide on May 1 while in custody, having been linked to an incident on April 14 where gunfire erupted outside Khan’s Galaxy Apartments, his residence.
“Salman Khan, we did not want this war but you made our brother lose his life,” the post declared, pointing a finger at the Bollywood superstar. It elaborated, “Today the pool of decency of Baba Siddique is closed or at one time he was under MCOCA with Dawood. The reason for his death was his links to Dawood and Anuj Thapan in Bollywood, politics, and property dealings.” The message was unequivocal in its warning, staking its claim in the gang’s broader battle against those aligning with Salman Khan or the notorious underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim. “We have no personal enmity with anyone. However, anyone who helps Salman Khan or the Dawood gang should be prepared. If anyone gets any of our brothers killed, we will respond. We never strike first. Jai Shri Ram, Jai Bharat, salute to the martyrs,” the message concluded.
While authorities have yet to verify the authenticity of the message, the Mumbai police are actively pursuing Shubham Lonkar.
. Earlier in the day, the police arrested Pravin Lonkar, Shubham’s brother, who has been implicated as a co-conspirator in the murder of Siddique. The brutal killing of the 66-year-old NCP leader took place at Kher Nagar in Mumbai’s Bandra area, right outside the office of Siddique’s MLA son, Zeeshan Siddique, on Saturday night. Despite swift efforts to save him, Siddique succumbed to his injuries at Lilavati Hospital shortly after being attacked.
In a swift response, a crime branch official on Sunday disclosed that Pravin and Shubham had coordinated with two alleged shooters: Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap, a resident of UP, and Shivkumar Gautam. While the efforts to apprehend Gautam continue, police have successfully detained Kashyap alongside another shooter, Gurmail Baljit Singh, originally from Haryana.
The news of Siddique’s death has cast a pall over Bollywood, a community that held him in high regard. Known for his lavish iftar parties, Siddique was a unifying figure, even helping to mend a rift between Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, who reconciled at one such event hosted by Siddique at a five-star Mumbai hotel.
Salman Khan, besieged by previous threats from the Bishnoi gang due to his involvement in the contentious 1998 Blackbuck poaching case, which deeply offended the Bishnoi community, rushed to offer condolences to Siddique’s family at the hospital on Saturday night and paid his respects at the NCP leader’s Bandra residence the following day.
The specter of danger looms large over Khan, with mounting allegations and a history of threats. In March of the previous year, Mumbai Police had lodged an FIR against Lawrence Bishnoi and his associate Goldy Brar following an email threat aimed at Khan. These developments are compounded by the April 14 attack involving four gunshots outside Khan’s home. The attackers, Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal, were captured in Gujarat, with others, including Anuj Thapan, being detained in Punjab and Rajasthan. Thapan’s subsequent death in custody on May 1 only adds to the convoluted narrative of vengeance and violence.
As investigations proceed, the unfolding drama is anticipated to unveil deeper connections and entangle further the coalescing terrains of Bollywood glitz and criminal underworld, leaving Bollywood insiders and fans alike watching warily for what lies ahead.
