Baba Siddique murder: Key conspirator Lonkar questioned earlier in Salman's case but let off

Shubham Lonkar, who seems to be emerging as one of the key conspirators in the high-profile murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique in Mumbai last week, had been questioned by the police after the firing incident outside actor Salman Khan’s residence in April.

However, due to lack of evidence he had been let off, said reports.

Currently, Shubham Lonkar, is on the run. But Shubham, who is believed to be a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, had been picked up for questioning after the firing outside Salman Khan's residence, Galaxy Apartments, in Bandra in April this year.

Shubham was accused of providing shelter to the suspects in the firing case but the police had no concrete proof and had to let him go. Now he is turning out to be one of the key conspirators, along with his brother Prawin Lonkar, in the murder of Siddique, a three-time MLA and a member of the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP.

Police arrested Prawin in Pune on Sunday evening.

Also read: Baba Siddique murder plot hatched in Pune; Lonkar brothers key figures

According to news reports, Lonkar and his brother, Pravin, roped in two shooters - Dharamraj Kashyap and Shiv Kumar Gautam.

Also, the Facebook post which said the Lawrence Bishnoi gang took responsibility for Siddique's murder was also allegedly from Shubham Lonkar's account.

In the Facebook post, Lonkar claimed that Siddique was killed due to his links with mafia don Dawood Ibrahim, who was close to Salman Khan. Further, he also cited the death of Anuj Thapan in police custody. Thapan was one of the suspects who was arrested in the shooting outside Khan's house.

Thapan was found dead on May 1 inside the Mumbai Crime Branch lock-up. The police had said he died by suicide but his family had claimed he was tortured in custody.

Lonkar wrote in his facebook post that they do not have any enmity with anyone but “whoever helps Salman Khan and the Dawood gang, keep your accounts in order ('hisab-kitaab kar lena')”. The authenticity of the post is yet to be verified.

Security has been tightened around Khan's house in Bandra and at his farmhouse in Panvel near Mumbai.