Rise of Lawrence Bishnoi: Once into student politics, now a feared gangster

A member of Lawrence Bishnoi gang, Shubbu alias Shubham Lonkar has reportedly admitted to having orchestrated Siddique's murder due to his close association with Bollywood actor Salman Khan

The murder of senior politician Baba Siddique on Saturday has brought fresh spotlight on Punjab-based gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, whose gang members are said to be involved in the killing. Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai’s Bandra East by three assailants on Saturday evening. 

A member of the Bishnoi gang, Shubbu alias Shubham Lonkar, claimed on Sunday that he allegedly orchestrated Siddique’s murder due to his close association with Bollywood actor Salman Khan. While the Mumbai Police have confirmed the role of the gang, they are investigating the circumstances that led to the crime.

How did Lawrence Bishnoi enter the crime world?

Lawrence Bishnoi, with over three dozen cases against him, is lodged in the Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad and is believed to be operating his gang from inside the prison. Active in the organised crime world since 2013, the 31-year-old gangster gained widespread notoriety in 2018 when he publicly threatened Khan over the case linked to the killing of blackbuck, the animal considered sacred in the Bishnoi community.

Before entering the crime world, Bishnoi had been active in student politics. From a sleepy border village of Fazilka, he shifted to Chandigarh in 2010 for higher education. His criminal journey began the same year, when he was just 19. His first case was for an attempted murder and he also faced a case of assault a year later. While these initial cases were linked to his student politics life, they set the stage for his journey to become one of the most feared gangsters in India.

In 2011, Lawrence became the president of Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) after enrolling in DAV College. He was backed by Youth Akali Dal leader Vicky Middukhera (now deceased), who was killed in Mohali in 2021. In response, the gang killed popular singer Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022, claiming that Moose Wala was involved in that murder. This high-profile crime further solidified Lawrence’s influence in the criminal world.

How big is Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang?

Lawrence is the son of an agriculturist from the Dhattaranwali village in Punjab’s Ferozepur district. In the early years, he was active in border areas of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. Today, his gang has a pan-India presence with about 700 members reportedly working for the gangster. The gang frequently makes headlines for their involvement in extortion rackets and contract killings.

Of late, the Bishnoi gang has been sending threats to Salman Khan. In April, multiple bullet rounds were allegedly fired outside the actor’s house in Mumbai. While the blackbuck case is one aspect, officials believe that targeting Khan may be an attempt by the gangster to gain notoriety.