Mumbai Police Seek Custody of Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in Baba Siddique Murder Case: Reports

A team from the Mumbai Police recently met with officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to request the custodial interrogation of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi as the investigation into the murder of Baba Siddique.

According to reports from Times of India, MHA officials indicated that they would consider the Mumbai Police's request to transfer Bishnoi into their custody. Baba Siddique, a former Maharashtra minister and senior leader of the NCP under Ajit Pawar, was shot dead on the evening of October 12 in Bandra East, Mumbai. Four suspects have been arrested in connection with his murder, including two shooters—Karnail Singh from Haryana and Dharamraj Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh—who claimed affiliation with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Additionally, co-conspirator Pravin Lonkar has been detained for recruiting the shooters.

The Mumbai Crime Branch also arrested a fourth suspect, 23-year-old Harishkumar Balakram from Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, who allegedly provided financial support and logistics for the operation. The incident occurred outside the office of Siddique’s son, MLA Zeeshan Siddique, near Colgate Ground in Nirmal Nagar.

Shivkumar Gautam, the main assailant who fired six shots at Baba Siddique—two of which struck him—is currently on the run, prompting the police to form multiple teams to locate him. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has taken responsibility for Siddique’s murder, leading the Mumbai Police to investigate his potential involvement.

Currently, the Mumbai Police are unable to secure Lawrence Bishnoi’s custody due to a directive from the Union Home Ministry, which prohibits his transfer from Sabarmati Jail in Ahmedabad. Bishnoi was relocated there from Delhi's Tihar Jail in August 2023 in relation to a drug smuggling case.