Who is Shubham Lonkar? Failed Army aspirant, key accused in Baba Siddique murder and now named in Rohit Shetty firing case

• Shubham Lonkar named key accused in firing outside Rohit Shetty's Mumbai home
• Social media post claimed attack was a warning to Shetty and Bollywood industry
• Police boost security at Shetty's home, verify threat claims

Did our AI summary help?

Shubham Lonkar, allegedly linked to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, has emerged at the centre of the investigation into the firing outside Bollywood director Rohit Shetty’s Mumbai residence, Shetty Tower, on Sunday. A social media account allegedly connected to Bishnoi’s network, using the name “Shubham Lonkar Arzoo Bishnoi,” claimed responsibility for the incident.

The post named several individuals, including Shubham Lonkar, Arzoo Bishnoi, Hari Boxer, and Harman Shandu, as participants in the attack. Police are currently verifying the authenticity of the account and the details provided in the message while continuing their investigation into the firing.

Investigators revealed that the firing had been planned in advance. The scooter used by the shooter was purchased four months ago in Pune. Police said the money used to buy the vehicle was allegedly sent by Shubham Lonkar, who has now been named as a key accused in the case.

Who is Shubham Lonkar?

Shubham Lonkar, a resident of Pune, is not new to police records. He is a wanted accused in the October 2024 murder case of NCP leader Baba Siddique. Lonkar had earlier come under the scanner after the firing outside actor Salman Khan’s residence in April 2024, though he was released at the time due to lack of evidence.

On January 27, a First Information Report (FIR) was lodged against Shubham at the Sant Tukaram Nagar police station in Pimpri Chinchwad for allegedly making extortion calls to businessman and film financer Sunny Waghchoure.

Police records show Lonkar was arrested by Akola police in January 2024 in an arms supply case, where links to the Bishnoi gang were found. During questioning, Lonkar allegedly said he had once aspired to join the Indian Army but failed recruitment tests. Investigators believe he had been to Rajasthan for an NCC event when he came in contact with men linked to the Bishnoi gang and he gradually became an active member of the syndicate around 2018-2019.

During this period, Shubham left Akot with Pravin and settled down in Pune. They started Lonkar Dairy at Bhalekar Wasti in Warje in 2022 while residing in a rented apartment nearby. The dairy, mostly looked after by Pravin, remained open till a few days before his arrest in the Baba Siddique murder case.

‘Warning’ message raises alarm

The social media post linked to the Rohit Shetty residence firing described the attack as a “small trailer” and claimed it was meant as a warning to Rohit Shetty. The message alleged that Shetty had been warned earlier not to interfere in certain matters. It also issued threats of more serious consequences if the warning was ignored.

The post went on to issue a broader warning to the Bollywood film industry, suggesting that non-compliance could lead to violent outcomes similar to past incidents. Police said they are treating the threats seriously and have increased security around Shetty’s residence and other sensitive locations.