Police Arrest Suspected Bishnoi Gang Member in Baba Siddique Murder Case
Mumbai: The Crime Branch of Mumbai Police on Sunday arrested Pravin Lonkar, 28, in Pune in connection with the murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, who was shot dead on Saturday night. Siddique, who served as a minister from 2004 to 2008, was laid to rest with full state honors on Sunday night.
The police arrested two suspects — Gurmail Baljit Singh and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap — at the scene of the shootout. Two other suspects, Shiv Kumar Gautam and Mohammad Zishan Akhtar, are still at large.
According to sources, Shiv Kumar opened fire on Siddique, while Akhtar is believed to have been contracted to arrange Siddique's murder. Pravin’s brother, Shubham Lonkar, a suspected member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and a resident of Akola, Maharashtra, claimed responsibility for the murder in a Facebook post. The post suggested that Siddique was killed because of his proximity to actor Salman Khan and as an act of revenge for Anuj Thapan, who was arrested for firing at the actor’s residence and allegedly committed suicide in police custody.
The police presented Singh and Kashyap before a magistrate court on Sunday and sought their custody for further investigation. However, Kashyap claimed that he was only 17 years old and could not be tried as an adult. The magistrate ordered the police to conduct an ossification test to determine his age. The court remanded Singh to police custody until October 21.
During the hearing, the police informed the court that they had recovered 28 live cartridges, two pistols with magazines, and four mobiles from the suspects. The police also stated that the accused may be linked to an international gang.
According to Mumbai Police, Baba Siddique was leaving his son’s office for his residence in Bandra (West) between 9.15 pm and 9.30 pm on Saturday when the attack occurred. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he was declared dead on arrival.
The assailants opened fire on Siddique, and two of them were arrested at the scene along with the murder weapons. The police are investigating whether the Lawrence Bishnoi gang was involved in the murder.
“We are trying to determine the role of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in this case. The incident happened as Siddique exited his son’s office. Three people were involved in the attack. Two have been caught, and one remains absconding. We have formed 15 Crime Branch teams to apprehend the absconding suspect,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Datta Nalawade.
Responding to questions about Siddique’s security, Nalawade explained that Siddique was not provided with categorized protection but was guarded by three police personnel who worked in shifts. At the time of the incident, one officer was accompanying him.
According to police sources, the accused had been staying in Kurla West, a suburb of Mumbai. Gurmail Baljit Singh had previously been in Kaithal Jail in Haryana in connection with a murder case, where he came into contact with the Bishnoi gang. Shiv Kumar and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap were hired for the task, and the trio was sent to Mumbai a few days ago. They rented a room in Kurla, conducted reconnaissance multiple times, and carried out the murder on Saturday night.
Sources also revealed that the conspiracy to eliminate Baba Siddique was hatched in Kaithal Jail. While police have not yet confirmed a specific motive, they are investigating all possibilities, including Siddique’s ties to actor Salman Khan, who has received threats from the Bishnoi gang. The police are also probing whether a dispute over a slum rehabilitation project played a role in Siddique’s murder.
As per the remand copy, the police want to question the suspects to determine the source of the firearms and whether the murder was carried out on behalf of someone else. The motive behind the killing remains under investigation.
DCP Nalawade stated that Gurmail Baljit Singh, 23, is from Haryana, while Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap, allegedly 19, hails from Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh. The absconding suspect, Shiv Kumar Gautam, 24, is also from Bahraich.
A senior police officer said that Shiv Kumar Gautam fired all six bullets, three of which struck the NCP leader's body.
Shiv Kumar’s mother, Suman, expressed shock and disbelief at the allegations. She described her son as hardworking and peaceful. “He had gone to Pune to work at a scrap shop and last visited the village during Holi. Policemen and media have been coming and going since morning, asking about Shiva. The police have questioned us too,” she told the media.
Kashyap’s mother, Kusum, also expressed surprise, stating that her son had gone to Pune to work as a scrap dealer. “We only learned about his involvement when the police came to our house in the morning,” she said.
Though neither suspect has a criminal history in Bahraich, Superintendent of Police Vrinda Shukla said that, as a precaution, the police are gathering further information about both. “They belong to normal families and were in contact with their families. A police team visited their homes to find out if they had any information about the incident,” she added.
