Beyond Lawrence Bishnoi, police probing these angles in Baba Siddique murder case

Mumbai Police has expanded its investigation into the killing of NCP leader Baba Siddique, probing several angles other than the alleged involvement of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
The police have arrested three accused so far, and have identified three others who are on the run. Among the accused is Pravin Lonkar, whose brother Shubham made a social media post, claiming responsibility for the murder on behalf of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
The social post claimed Baba Siddique was targeted for his close ties with actor Salman Khan, who has been faced multiple threats from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang over the past several years.
However, police sources say that the Salman Khan angle could be a smokescreen, and that Lawrence Bishnoi gang members could merely be contract killers.
According to sources, the Mumbai Police is trying to investigate who gave the contract to Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
Among the other lines of inquiry is a past property dispute involving Baba Siddiqui. In 2015, Siddiqui lodged a complaint against a Bandra-based businessman, accusing him of using gangster Chhota Shakeel to issue threats. The matter reportedly reached a settlement in 2018, but police are now revisiting the case to determine whether it has any relevance to the current investigation.
A few days ago, Baba Siddiqui distributed a pamplet which asked people not to do business with a particular businessman.
These new leads have prompted police to explore whether there may be a deeper connection between these incidents and the larger criminal conspiracy they are trying to unravel.
Former Maharashtra minister and leader of Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, Siddique, was shot dead outside his office in Mumbai on Saturday night. Police arrested two shooters and a co-conspirator on Sunday. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for the killing. Authorities confirmed it was a contract killing and are investigating the gang’s involvement.