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From failed army aspirant to fugitive: Who is Rohit Shetty, sacked accused Shubham Lonkar? Mumbai News

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2 minutes of readingBombayFebruary 1, 2026 05:59 pm IST

An hour after the shooting outside Bollywood director Rohit Shetty’s Juhu bungalow on Sunday, a message was posted on a Facebook page called ‘Shubham Lonkar Aarzoo Bishnoi’ claiming responsibility for the attack.

The name of PuneShubham Lonkar, 32, based in the country, raised eyebrows because he is an absconding accused in the Baba Siddique murder case and was also the person who claimed responsibility on social media after Siddique’s murder.

When the police launched an investigation into the Baba Siddique murder case, they found that Lonkar had been arrested by the Akola police in January 2024 in a case related to supply of arms.

Police found messages between him and gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, lodged in Sabarmati prison, and his brother Anmol, who was then believed to be out of the country. Lonkar was later released on bail and subsequently absconded.

During interrogation by the Akola police, Lonkar had said that he wanted to join the army. However, he failed the army recruitment test held in Jaisalmer in 2018-19.

Shubham Lonkar Shubham Lonkar (pictured) failed the army recruitment test held in Jaisalmer in 2018-19. (File photo)

According to the police, he met a person in Jaisalmer named Bajra, who told him that if he wanted to work for the country, he could introduce him to someone who would help him. In this way, he met the Bishnoi gang.

Later, according to the police, Lonkar was also sent to Nepal and Azerbaijan, where he received weapons training from the Bishnoi gang. Lonkar then returned to his home base, Pune, where he ran a dairy with his brother and, receiving instructions that some shooters were needed, brainwashed the youths.

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One of the shooters in the Baba Siddique case, Shiv Kumar Gautam, had told the police during his interrogation that he was working at the shop near Lonkar’s dairy and would move with Lonkar’s gang.

Lonkar was heavily influenced by “religion” and “nationalism” and brainwashed Gautam to target Siddique claiming that it would be akin to a “patriotic act”, Gautam had told the police.

Mohamed Thaver is a highly specialized journalist with the experience and authority to report on complex legal and law enforcement issues. With a career dedicated to fighting crime for over a decade, his work provides readers with informed and reliable information on the security and justice systems of Maharashtra. Primary focus on experience and authority: Has been exclusively covering the crime arena for over a decade, generating deep and specialized knowledge in the field. Geographical Authority: Currently primarily focused on law enforcement and policy in Maharashtra, providing authoritative coverage of the state’s security apparatus. Key Beats: Law Enforcement: Reports on operations of Maharashtra Police and Mumbai Crime Branch. Politics and Administration: Covers the Home Department of Maharashtra and focuses on policy issues related to the management of law and order and the evolution of the police force. Judiciary: You have significant courtroom experience, giving you a comprehensive understanding of the entire criminal justice process, from investigation to verdict. Specialized interest (cyber and forensics): Demonstrates expertise in modern investigation techniques, with a special focus on cybercrime and forensics, reporting on how these technologies assist in complex crime investigations. Content Focus: Your reports revolve around police investigations, force developments and state policy, ensuring your content is highly relevant and detailed. Credentials and Reliability Mohamed Thaver’s long specialization in the field of crime, combined with his focus on technological aspects such as cybercrime and his direct coverage of major institutions such as the Mumbai Crime Branch and the Maharashtra Home Department, underlines his trustworthiness and status as an expert source for in-depth and reliable law and order journalism. He tweets @thaver_mohamed …Read more

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