Who is Lawrence Bishnoi, the gangster linked with Baba Siddique's murder?

Sending shock-waves across Maharashtra and the country, the killing of politician and social worker Baba Siddique on Sunday night has reignited the concerns surrounding the safety of public figures.

Siddique, a former minister is a notable leader in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), who is also known for his philanthropic work.The Mumbai police's investigation after the tragic incident had revealed the involvement of notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his gang behind the criminal incident.

But who is Lawrence Bishnoi:

In the recent past, Bishnoi had made headlines for all the wrong reasons. The attacks that claimed the life of Singer Sidhu Moose Wala in Punjab, the multiple failed attempts attacking Bollywood actor Salman Khan all bring out one name, with no prizes for guessing.

Lawrence Bishnoi born in 1993 in Punjab primarily operates in Northern India. He went to DAV College and later joined the Punjab University Campus Students Council where he met 'Goldy Brar'. The friendship between the two grew as they ventured from student politics to criminal activities. Between 2010-12, multiple FIRs were registered against Bishnoi for his activities in Chandigarh that included extortion, murder, drug trafficking and others.

However, he was acquitted in four of the cases, while three are still pending. Giving him a more celebrity like status was when he conspired to kill Salman Khan in 2018. He was also known for his open threat claiming "Salman Khan will be killed here in Jodhpur". Soon after that, his gang's involvement in the murder of celebrated singer Sidhu Moosewala had made headlines again putting his name in the spotlight.

Though Goldy Brar claimed responsibility for the murder, Police questioned Bishnoi who was in Tihar jail at that time. In 2023, Bishnoi was back to making headlines again after gunshots were fired outside Salman Khan's residence.

A report by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) also argued of a connection between Bishnoi, Brar and pro-khalistan groups. Despite being locked up, Bishnoi manages (allegedly) to operate with more than 700 shooters at his call.

Be it Sabarmati Jail or Tihar Bishnoi finds a way to communicate with his phone from the prison, earlier a video went viral showing Lawrence talking to a Pakistan-based gangstar.