The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has taken responsibility for the killing of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique. The 66-year-old NCP leader was shot dead outside the office of his son, Zeeshan Siddique, in Bandra East, Mumbai, late last night. The shooters involved in the assassination have been partially apprehended, with two arrested and one still on the run.

The attack occurred around 9:30 pm, when Siddique and an associate were targeted by gunmen who fired multiple rounds, fatally hitting the former minister in the chest. Mumbai Police quickly launched an investigation and managed to arrest two of the three suspects involved in the shooting—Gurmail Baljit Singh (23) from Haryana and Dharamraj Kashyap (19) from Uttar Pradesh. The third suspect, identified as Shiv Kumar Gautam, also from UP, is still at large.

 Gang’s Responsibility and Investigation

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang took responsibility for the attack via a social media post, which is now under investigation by central agencies. The post, reportedly tied to a Facebook account linked to Shubham Rameshwar Lonkar, is being scrutinized.

Lonkar, an associate of the Bishnoi gang, had previously been arrested in Akola, Maharashtra, for possessing illegal firearms. He admitted to communicating with Anmol Bishnoi, Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother, suggesting deeper involvement in the gang’s criminal activities.

According to media reports, both Dharamraj Kashyap and Shiv Kumar Gautam hail from Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, and had no prior criminal records in their hometown. According to police reports, they had been working as laborers in Pune before being lured into the criminal underworld. Their connection with the Bishnoi gang reportedly developed during their time in a Punjab jail, where they may have been radicalized.

The shooters were allegedly paid Rs 50,000 each in advance to carry out the hit on Siddique. They had been monitoring the politician for months, conducting reconnaissance on his home and office, with firearms being supplied only days before the attack.

While two of the suspects have been apprehended and are in police custody, the third, Shiv Kumar Gautam, remains at large. Mumbai Police have intensified efforts to track him down. A fourth individual, suspected to be the handler coordinating the attack, is also being pursued by the authorities.