Police have arrested four more people in the murder case of NCP leader Baba Siddiqui. These include a resident of Haryana, who is suspected to be a key link between the shooter and the mastermind of the conspiracy. Amit Kumar, 29, was arrested from Haryana on Tuesday evening and three people from Pune on Wednesday evening. After this the total number of accused arrested in the case increased to 14.
The police officer said that 22-year-old Rupesh Rajendra Mohol, 19-year-old Karan Rahul Salve and 20-year-old Shivam Arvind Kohar are all residents of Pune. Amit Kumar is suspected to be involved in planning and carrying out the murder. The officer said that some suspicious financial transactions involving him and other accused are also under investigation.
According to the police, Kumar is a key link between Gurmail Singh, one of the detained shooters, and alleged mastermind Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar. The official said that according to preliminary investigation, Akhtar was the common link between the shooters and the conspirators of the murder. Amit Kumar was caught by the Crime Branch team from Haryana on Tuesday evening and brought to Mumbai on Wednesday morning. He has been kept in police custody till 4 November.
Baba Siddiqui, 66, was shot dead outside the office of his MLA son Zeeshan Siddiqui in Mumbai’s Bandra area on October 12. Investigators have not yet determined the motive behind the murder. They are investigating the crime from different angles, including contract killings, business rivalry or threats against a slum rehabilitation project in Mumbai.
Those arrested so far include two suspected shooters – Dharamraj Kashyap and Gurmail Singh, while the main shooter Shivkumar Gautam and two conspirators are absconding. The investigation so far reveals that a five-member Thane-based contract killing module was initially given the contract to murder the former Maharashtra minister.
Shooter was in contact with Anmol Bishnoi
The three suspected shooters involved in the Baba Siddiqui murder case were in touch with Anmol Bishnoi, brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, through Snapchat before carrying out the murder of the NCP leader. The three suspected shooters had talked to Anmol Bishnoi through the instant messaging app (Snapchat) before killing Siddiqui. When the Snapchats of the arrested accused were examined, it was found that the shooter and Pune-based Praveen Lonkar, who is the alleged mastermind, were in direct contact with Anmol Bishnoi and used to delete the messages after receiving them.
Anmol was in touch with Canada
Police said that Anmol was in contact with the accused from Canada and America and four mobile phones have also been seized from the accused. While Mumbai Police has suspended police security guard Shyam Sonawane who was present with the former Maharashtra minister at the time of the incident.
