India has beefed up security outside the home of Bollywood star Salman Khan after his close associate, politician Baba Siddique, was gunned down in Mumbai, the country’s financial and crime capital.
The gang of Lawrence Bishnoi, a notorious criminal serving a prison sentence in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, has claimed responsibility for the killing. Bishnoi, a former student leader from Punjab, faces over two dozen criminal cases, including murder and extortion.
Following Siddique’s assassination last Saturday, security for Salman Khan has been upgraded to the Y-plus category, which includes a police escort vehicle traveling alongside his own and a trained constable accompanying him at all times. The actor’s residences also receive protection from a special police unit.
Khan, 58, is believed to be the prime target for Bishnoi and his 700-strong gang, according to Indian media reports. Documents accessed by India Today indicate that Bishnoi is seeking to avenge Khan’s hunting and killing of two blackbucks in 1998. The act caused widespread outrage, particularly among the Bishnoi community, which considers the blackbuck sacred. In April 2024, Khan’s home was targeted by gunmen who fired multiple shots before fleeing. No one was injured in the incident.
On Tuesday, the Mumbai Police arrested a fourth suspect from Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich in connection with the murder of the Nationalist Congress Party leader. The accused, Harishkumar Balakram, 23, was arrested on charges of being involved in the conspiracy, including providing money and logistical support to the shooters, India Today reported.
Earlier, three individuals – Gurmail Baljit Singh, 23, and Dharmaraj Kashyap, 19, both accused of being shooters, and Pravin Lonkar, 28, believed to be a co-conspirator – were arrested and remain in police custody. Lonkar’s brother, Shubham Lonkar, has claimed responsibility for the murder. Both brothers are believed to be connected with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
Bishnoi’s gang has previously claimed responsibility for several high-profile murders, including that of popular Indian rap star Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022. Moose Wala was killed by Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, who is closely associated with Bishnoi. Notably, a report by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also alleged a link between the Bishnoi gang and extremist Sikh groups in Canada and other countries, seeking to create a separate nation-state out of India, known as Khalistan.
Earlier this week, Canadian police claimed that the Bishnoi gang is connected to agents of the Indian government who target “pro-Khalistani elements” in Canada. The allegations came amid an escalating political row between New Delhi and Ottawa over the investigation into the murder of prominent Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. New Delhi has denied the allegations, and on Monday, the two countries expelled each other’s diplomats.