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Further probe in the Baba Siddique murder case has raised the unsettling question whether the killing of the NCP leader could have been averted? The police and the intelligence agencies have
found that Shubham Lonkar, the alleged mastermind, was recruited to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang by one Desai, a key operative of the syndicate. During his interrogation by the Akola police in
a separate case which took place before Siddique's murder, Lonkar had expressed deep admiration for Lawrence, said sources. He had also revealed that he was motivated to execute
Siddique’s murder after talking to the jailed gangster via chats and video calls, they added. Lonkar had further disclosed his connections with the Bishnoi gang and his recruitment by Desai,
said sources. However, these revelations were not taken seriously at the time and no efforts were made to locate Desai, as per sources. This apparent oversight proved costly as it later
culminated in the politician's murder, with Lonkar emerging as the principal conspirator. Intelligence agencies report that Lonkar had detailed knowledge of the Bishnoi gang's hit
list and operational methods. As per the investigation, Lonkar travelled to Jaisalmer in 2018 to participate in an army recruitment drive, where he met Desai after failing to clear the
selection process. The latter introduced him to the Bishnoi gang, after which he was sent to Nepal for training. Subsequently, Lonkar returned to Maharashtra and began recruiting young men
to consolidate his position within the gang. Intelligence sources indicate that Lonkar is now a senior figure in the gang.