New revelations in the murder case of Maharashtra politician Baba Siddique have raised questions about the involvement of Pakistani drones in supplying firearms used in the killing. Initial investigations by the Mumbai police revealed that four firearms, not three as previously thought, were involved in the October 12 incident near Siddique’s son’s office in Bandra, Mumbai. The police are investigating whether these weapons entered India from Pakistan via drones, potentially through routes in Rajasthan or Punjab, where similar incidents have been reported in recent years. Maharashtra police have shared images of the recovered firearms with Rajasthan authorities to aid the investigation.
This high-profile case, involving Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang, has led to the arrest of 15 suspects, with three key suspects still evading capture. Police have identified Gurmail Baljit Singh from Haryana and Dharmaraj Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh as two of the shooters. Shivkumar Gautam, the main shooter, remains at large along with accomplices Shubham Lonkar and Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar. According to police sources, Gautam and his associates practiced handling firearms by watching YouTube tutorials at a rented property in Mumbai. Gautam’s training included dry practice sessions due to limited access to live ammunition. This detail highlights the lengths the conspirators went to in preparing for the targeted attack on Siddique, a senior leader of the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party.
The plot to kill Siddique appears to have been well-coordinated. Accused Pravin Lonkar allegedly facilitated firearm supplies through connections with Bishnoi’s gang, while a scrap dealer, Harish Kumar Nisad, is accused of providing financial backing. The conspirators communicated through encrypted channels like Instagram and Snapchat to avoid surveillance, using Snapchat’s automatic deletion feature to hide evidence. Shubham Lonkar, associated with past arms smuggling activities, allegedly coordinated directly with Bishnoi’s gang through social media.
The Delhi Police Special Cell recently intensified efforts against the Bishnoi gang, arresting seven additional suspects who reportedly intended to carry out another assassination in Rajasthan. Known for operations across multiple states, Bishnoi’s gang has been linked to cases of homicide, arms trafficking, and extortion.
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Mumbai police are extending their investigations to understand the cross-border element of the case, especially the possibility of Pakistani involvement in supplying weapons. With three suspects on the run and arrests still underway, the case has raised alarm regarding the potential of transnational crime networks using drones for smuggling weapons into India, an issue of significant concern to national security agencies.
