Mumbai, a city once plagued by organised crime, appears to be witnessing the re-emergence of gang violence after more than two decades of relative peace. From the firing of warning shots outside actor Salman Khan’s residence in April to the assassination of former MLA Baba Siddique on 12 October, both incidents are allegedly linked to the notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
“This is the first time in a long while that an organised gang killing has occurred in the city,” said former Mumbai Police Commissioner Julio Ribeiro. He noted that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang seems to be attempting to instil fear as a means to further their extortion activities.
In April, warning shots were fired outside Salman Khan’s home in what police called “stage one” of an intimidation campaign. “Stage two, which involves fear-mongering through bloodshed, has now begun with Siddique’s murder,” an IPS officer told a section of media. “When others receive extortion calls, this violence ensures they are sufficiently frightened to pay up.”
The late 1990s are often referred to as a “dark period” for Mumbai, when organised crime reached its zenith. According to a former IPS officer, 101 businessmen were killed in 1998 alone. This figure gradually declined due to a concerted effort by the police, with 46 gang-related murders in 1999, 23 in 2000, and just 12 in 2001. A multi-pronged strategy helped bring an end to gang killings by 2002, although the Dawood Ibrahim gang continued its extortion rackets during this period.
D. Sivanandan, another former Mumbai Police Commissioner credited with dismantling the underworld in the 1990s, spoke to a section of media “What we are seeing now is not comparable to the 1990s. Back then, decades of underworld activity had reached a peak. What is happening today could be the start of something similar, but if the Siddique case is handled effectively — and Mumbai Police are capable of this — the threat can be eliminated at its root.”
Lawrence Bishnoi, who has been in prison for the past decade, gained widespread notoriety after his gang allegedly killed Punjabi singer Siddhu Moosewala in 2022. Shortly after Moosewala’s murder, a threatening letter was found on a bench frequented by Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan. The letter warned that Salman Khan would face the same fate as Moosewala and was signed with the initials “LB” and “GB”, believed to stand for Lawrence Bishnoi and his Canada-based associate, Goldy Brar.
The police believe the Bishnoi gang, previously active in northern states such as Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, is now seeking to establish a foothold in Mumbai. With notorious underworld figures like Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Rajan and Ravi Pujari largely neutralised over the past 15 years, Bishnoi’s gang may be attempting to fill the power vacuum.
Despite concerns that Mumbai could return to its “dark days”, law enforcement officials are confident that the threat can be contained. Sivanandan emphasised the importance of robust laws, such as the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), which was introduced during his tenure. MCOCA makes it difficult for detainees to secure bail, keeping them out of circulation for years.
Other stringent laws, such as the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities (MPDA) Act, have also proved crucial in combating organised crime. Former top cop Ribeiro noted, “The general principle is that the police must create an equal amount of fear in the minds of gangsters by acting decisively and strongly.”
However, a retired officer pointed out that political will is essential in tackling the resurgence of organised crime. “If the government is serious, the police have the resources to stamp out the gang,” he said. He also questioned why Mumbai Police have not been given access to Lawrence Bishnoi, who remains behind bars in Gujarat. “It raises doubts about how committed the government is to eradicating these gangs. The police need full backing from the government to prevent a repeat of the bloodshed witnessed in the 1990s.”
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