The Mumbai police have arrested a 28-year-old man from Pune, identified as Pravin Lonkar, who, along with his brother, allegedly “enlisted” two of the three shooters involved in the murder of Baba Siddique.
PTI reported, citing officials, that Pravin was a “co-conspirator” and noted that they are currently searching for his brother, Shubham Lonkar. This marks the third arrest in the investigation into Siddique's murder.
NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, 66, was killed by three assailants at Kher Nagar, just outside his son Zeeshan Siddique's office in Bandra, Mumbai, on Saturday night.
Also Read: Baba Siddique news: How Lawrence Bishnoi gang carried out killing of NCP leader | Full timeline
A Facebook post from Shubuu Lonkar, believed to be linked to Bishnoi associate Shubham Rameshwar Lonkar, claimed that Siddique was targeted due to his alleged ties to India's most wanted terrorist, Dawood Ibrahim, his connection to Salman Khan, and the death of Anuj Thapan, a suspect in the shooting outside Khan's house.
Thapan was found dead in police custody on May 1, with authorities stating he died by suicide, although his family alleged he was tortured.
The post read, “Salman Khan, hum ye jang nahi chahte the, pr tumne hamare bhai ka nuksaan karwaya...hamari kisi se koi dushmani nahi hai par jo bhi Salman Khan or Dawood gang ki help karega, apna hisab kitab laga ke rakhna... [Salman Khan, we don't want this war, but you have harmed our brother...we have no enmity with anyone, but whoever helps Salman Khan or Dawood gang, keep your accounts in check].”
“Iske marne ka karan Anuj Thapan and Dawood ko Bollywood, politics and property dealing se jodna tha. [The reason for his death was Anuj Thapan and linking Dawood with Bollywood, politics, property dealing],” the post read.
Also Read: Baba Siddique killers mother, grandmother break silence: ’Kill him, we have nothing to do...’
Mumbai police are investigating the social media post allegedly from a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, claiming responsibility for Siddique's murder.
NDTV reported, citing sources, that at least two celebrities have been attacked by the Bishnoi gang for their perceived closeness to Salman Khan since last year. After Siddique was shot, Salman Khan visited him in the hospital and later went to his residence.
In November 2023, shots were fired at Punjabi singer Gippy Grewal's house in Vancouver after the Bishnoi gang claimed it was retaliation for Grewal praising Salman Khan and treating him “like a brother.”
Additionally, in September, shots were fired near another Punjabi singer, AP Dhillon's home, with Rohit Godara, a member of the Bishnoi gang, claiming responsibility after Dhillon released a video featuring Salman Khan.
A crime branch official reported on Sunday that Pravin and Shubham Lonkar “enlisted” two alleged shooters: Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh and Shivkumar Gautam.
While Gautam remains at large, police have arrested Kashyap and another alleged shooter, Gurmail Baljit Singh, 23, from Haryana. The official stated that police attempted to locate Shubham Lonkar in Pune but were unsuccessful, but it led to the arrest of his brother Pravin for his alleged involvement in the crime.
As reported by ANI, speaking on the recent arrests made by Mumbai police in the case, Congress MP Imran Masood said, “He had received security earlier because he had gotten death threats. Someone first says that they will kill you, and then they kill you, so that is totally the government's failure—100 per cent a failure.”
While referring to the alleged involvement of the Bishnoi gang in the murder, he said, “Whatever they say, if someone in jail is orchestrating these attacks, then what is the government doing? If this is happening from jail, it is a clear indication of the government's failure. To maintain law and order in the state, the government is totally failing. If a leader from the ruling party is not safe, one can only imagine what will happen to the opposition and the common man.”
(With inputs from agencies)
