Mumbai, 21st October 2024: Authorities are contending with contradictory theories surrounding the murder of former Congress minister Baba Siddique, especially after the name of imprisoned gangster Lawrence Bishnoi emerged in connection with the case. Shubam Lonkar, also known as Shubbu, recently claimed responsibility on behalf of Bishnoi’s gang through social media. However, investigators are uncertain whether Bishnoi approved the hit or if the contract was executed without his consent.

Currently incarcerated in Gujarat’s Sabarmati jail, Lawrence Bishnoi is unavailable for police questioning, complicating the investigation into his potential involvement. Some concerns absconding suspects Shubam Lonkar, Shivkumar Gautam, and Zeeshan Akhtar might have acted independently in accepting the contract. The police are considering the possibility that issues related to slum rehabilitation may have played a role in Siddique’s murder.

Further complicating matters, leaders of Bishnoi’s gang, including his brother Anmol Bishnoi and associates Rohit Godara and Goldy Brar—who are based in Canada—have remained quiet on the issue. This unusual silence, contrary to their usual practice of claiming or denying involvement in gang activities, has led to doubts regarding the credibility of Lonkar’s claims.

In April, Anmol Bishnoi had previously claimed responsibility for the shooting at Salman Khan’s residence, ominously suggesting that future threats would be more direct.

Compounding police scepticism is Lonkar’s background. As a 12th-grade student from a Marathi school, his limited proficiency in Hindi, which he speaks in a Punjabi accent, raises questions about the authenticity of his social media posts. Authorities suspect that someone else may have composed the statements attributed to him, which he later posted on Facebook and subsequently deleted.