Exclusive: Dosti with Salman Khan motive behind Baba Siddique’s murder, says Mumbai Crime Branch

Actor Salman Khan greets Baba Siddique at his Iftaar party in Bandra in 2022. Pic/Anurag Ahire

The Mumbai Crime Branch, investigating the murder of prominent politician Baba Siddique, has confirmed to mid-day that the motive behind Siddique's killing was his close association with Bollywood star Salman Khan, who has been on the Bishnoi gang's hit list since the blackbuck poaching case, in which Khan was the accused. According to sources, Siddique's murder is seen as a message from the Bishnoi gang to anyone close to the actor, particularly those offering him emotional or financial support. An officer confirmed that the recent shooting outside the house of Punjabi singer AP Dhillon in Canada, for which the Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility, was also a warning. Dhillon collaborated with Salman Khan to create a music video free of charge.

Salman Khan leaving Baba Siddique's residence in Bandra after meeting the family on Sunday. Pic/Anurag Ahire

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"Our investigation into Salman Khan's firing case and now the murder of a political leader points toward the Bishnoi gang. The motive appears to be the actor's close emotional and financial associations. The Canada shooting outside the singer's house seems to stem from the same reason. We believe the gang is targeting everyone close to him," a Mumbai police officer said. Mumbai police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar has conducted a series of marathon meetings. "We admit that this is an intelligence failure, and it is being taken very, very seriously. We will ensure that no such incidents happen in the future. We are currently assessing where exactly our intelligence system failed and how we missed any clues," a top IPS officer from Mumbai police said on the condition of anonymity.

Sources have also revealed that the Crime Branch, Anti-Terrorist Cell, Special Branch, and the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) of Mumbai police have been tasked with gathering details on everyone closely associated with Salman Khan to prevent future attacks. The Crime Branch has also been instructed to identify the routes through which weapons are being smuggled into Mumbai, particularly how criminals are accessing firearms like the 9mm pistol used in Siddique's killing. "All necessary corrective measures will be taken, and we will ensure that gangsters have no foothold in the city," the officer added.

A Crime Branch officer revealed, "We initially explored all possibilities, including an SRA dispute and business rivalry, but haven't found anything substantial. We're about 70 per cent sure the Salman Khan connection is the primary motive, given the Bishnoi gang's history." He added, "If the family presents other claims, like a dispute or rivalry, we'll investigate those too." The Crime Branch is set to approach Baba Siddique's family, including MLA Zeeshan Siddique, to determine if threats were made, especially from the Bishnoi gang. Shubham Lonkar later claimed on Facebook that the murder was revenge for Anuj Thapan's death, accusing Siddique of ties to Dawood Ibrahim.