Mumbai: Investigations into the murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique and the firing targeting actor Tiger Shroff have shown a common recruitment strategy allegedly used by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang — exploiting young men from rural backgrounds with promises of handsome money and a lucrative future abroad.Crime Branch officials said youngsters with little or no criminal history were allegedly lured into serious crimes with offers of foreign settlement and financial rewards.In the Siddique murder case, Shubham Lonkar, then around 22 years old and a resident of Akola, allegedly played a key role in the conspiracy. The shooters, Shiv Kumar Gautam and Dharamraj Kashyap, were from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, while Zeeshan Akhtar (22) was from Punjab. Gautam and Kashyap reportedly had no previous criminal records.“Four of the 18 accused initially arrested were promised Rs 25 lakh, a car, a flat and a trip to Dubai. Several young men were drawn into crime, and their lives and those of their families have been ruined,” a senior crime branch official said.Police alleged that Gautam reconnected with Kashyap, a fellow villager and scrap dealer, who introduced him to gang operatives through Lonkar. Gautam allegedly contacted Anmol Bishnoi, brother of Lawrence Bishnoi, through Snapchat and Instagram and was promised Rs 10 lakh to assassinate Siddiqui. The shooters stayed in a rented room in Kurla from the first week of September before the Oct 12 murder. They were allegedly supplied with Turkish, Australian and country-made pistols.A similar pattern has emerged in the Tiger Shroff firing case. The three alleged shooters — Rehan Ansari (18), Phool Singh (18), and Hritik Kumar alias Roshan (22) — were from Sonipat, Haryana.Ansari allegedly received a VoIP call from gangster Anil Pandit around three months before the incident. He was reportedly paid Rs 37,000 to collect two concealed weapons and travel to Mumbai with an associate. He was allegedly promised a future in the United States after completing the assignment. The accused were reportedly supposed to take shelter in Nepal afterwards.Unlike the Siddique case, where a Turkish-made pistol was used, the weapons used in the firing at Shroff were reportedly country-made pistols. One allegedly jammed, while Phool Singh fired five rounds. None hit Shroff, but one bullet struck his driver.Both cases highlight how criminal gangs allegedly exploit young men’s financial aspirations, using promises of money and overseas opportunities to recruit inexperienced youths for violent assignments.
