Mumbai police recently disclosed that they have found photographs of Baba Siddique and his son, Zeeshan, on the Snapchat app, which was installed on the phones of the three individuals accused of Siddique’s murder. Siddique, a former Maharashtra minister, was killed earlier this month.
Although much of the data had been deleted, investigators were able to recover some content during their probe into the high-profile murder case. They are also exploring potential communications between Anmol Bishnoi, the brother of incarcerated gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, and the accused through Snapchat. An officer noted that the suspects had also exchanged messages via Instagram Messenger.
Snapchat is an instant messaging application that allows users to share messages and photographs known as “Snaps.” These snaps are available for a limited time before they become inaccessible to recipients, making the app particularly popular among younger users.
A senior officer from the Mumbai police explained that the Bishnoi gang utilises Snapchat because the temporary nature of messages and photos provides a sense of security, making it challenging for law enforcement to retrieve such information even when the devices are seized. However, in the case of Baba Siddique’s murder, the shooter had saved certain images, which facilitated their recovery by the police.
The officer added that obtaining information from US-based social media platforms is a lengthy process, making Snapchat more appealing for gang members. In the past, criminals have favoured apps like Telegram and Signal to avoid police detection.
Members of the Bishnoi gang had previously claimed responsibility for crimes through social media posts. However, in this instance, a gang member named Shubham Lonkar posted a claim of responsibility for Siddique’s murder on Facebook, took a screenshot of the post, and subsequently deleted it. The screenshot was then circulated on other platforms, ensuring that police could not trace the original post’s IP address.
A police officer remarked, “The gang is technically adept and constantly evolving. In the past, they have also used VPNs to evade detection by law enforcement.”
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