Baba Siddique murder: 1 more person held; cops say he provided money to shooters

Mumbai, Oct 15 (PTI) The Mumbai police have arrested one more person in connection with the killing of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, officials said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Harishkumar Balakram (23), hailing from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, was involved in providing money and other logistical support to the shooters, an official said.

Balakram worked as a scrap dealer in Warje area of Maharashtra’s Pune, he said.

A crime branch team apprehended him from Bahraich in UP on Monday and brought him to Mumbai on Tuesday morning, the official said.

With this, four persons have so far been arrested in connection with Siddique’s killing.

Police had earlier arrested Haryana resident Gurmail Baljit Singh (23), Uttar Pradesh native Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19), both alleged shooters, and “co-conspirator” Pravin Lonkar from Pune.

Another suspected shooter Shivkumar Gautam, who hails from Bahraich, is on the run.

Balakram was part of the conspiracy to kill three-time MLA Baba Siddique along with Kashyap, Gautam, Pravin Lonkar and the latter’s brother Shubham Lonkar, the official said.

Baba Siddique (66) was waylaid by three persons in Mumbai’s Nirmal Nagar area, just outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique’s office, and shot at on Saturday night. He was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital where he was declared dead, according to police.

The Mumbai crime branch has formed various teams to nab Shivkumar Gautam, accused Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar and other persons wanted in the case.

The crime branch was also probing various angles, including a possible contract killing, business or political rivalry or threat over a slum rehabilitation project, according to officials.

A prominent Muslim leader from Mumbai, Siddique was also known to be close to several Bollywood stars, including Salman Khan.

Suspected shooter Gautam hails from Gandara village in Bahraich district, where locals and police said he had no criminal history. They said he had gone to work at a scrap shop in Pune.

Gautam posted some online content in recent months, flaunting his “gangster” status.

Pravin Lonkar is accused of “enlisting” two of the three alleged shooters who opened fire at Siddique.

As per the police, Pravin Lonkar’s brother Shubham Lonkar, who is yet to be apprehended, is allegedly associated with jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

The prosecution has claimed Shubham Lonkar and other wanted accused had conspired the shooting and supplied arms to the gunmen who attacked the NCP leader.

Police were also verifying a social media post, attributed to a purported member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, owning up to the murder of Siddique.

They have also written to the Facebook and Instagram authorities, seeking more details about the post, the police said.