The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for the murder of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister, Baba Siddique.
The 66-year-old leader was shot dead on Saturday night as he was leaving his office to head to his residence in Bandra West
A Facebook post by a gang member, which has since gone viral, stated that Siddique’s murder was due to his connections with Bollywood actor Salman Khan and underworld figures Dawood Ibrahim and Anuj Thapan.
In the post, the gang member wrote, “Om, Jai Shri Ram, Jai Bharat,” followed by, “I understand the essence of life, and consider wealth and the body as dust. I did only what was right, honoring the duty of friendship.”
The post continued, “Salman Khan, we did not want this war, but you caused the death of our brother. Today the pool of decency surrounding Baba Siddique has ended, or at one time he was under MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act) with Dawood. The reason for his death was his ties to Dawood and Anuj Thapan in Bollywood, politics, and property dealings.”
“We bear no personal enmity towards anyone. However, anyone who aids Salman Khan or the Dawood gang should be ready. If any of our brothers are killed, we will retaliate. We never strike first. Jai Shri Ram, Jai Bharat, salute to the martyrs,” the post concluded.
Baba Siddique was shot by three men in Mumbai on Saturday evening and was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
On Sunday, the Mumbai Police confirmed that the murder of Baba Siddique was a contract killing.
Two suspects-Gurmail Baljit Singh, 23, from Haryana, and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap, 19, from Uttar Pradesh-have been arrested, while the third suspect, Shiv Kumar from Uttar Pradesh, remains at large.
Police officials have stated that their teams are working to trace the mastermind behind the murder. The investigation has revealed that the killing was premeditated, with the accused being paid in advance and receiving their weapons a few days prior.