The Mumbai Crime Branch has made another arrest in connection with the murder of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddiqui. On Sunday, police confirmed the arrest of Bhagwant Singh, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to 10. Singh was apprehended in Belapur, Navi Mumbai.
According to the Mumbai Police, Bhagwant Singh is accused of providing shelter to the shooters involved in the murder and supplying them with weapons. He is also alleged to have transported arms from Rajasthan to Mumbai, aiding the attackers in executing the crime.
Baba Siddiqui was shot outside his office in Nirmal Nagar, Mumbai. He sustained two gunshot wounds to his chest and was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on October 12. The incident has sparked a high-profile investigation, leading to multiple arrests.
On October 19, the Mumbai Police suspended Shyam Sonawane, a police constable assigned as Siddiqui’s security guard. Sonawane was present at the scene during the shooting but reportedly did not intervene to protect Siddiqui. His failure to act has led to disciplinary action.
Mumbai Police have uncovered a photograph of Baba Siddiqui’s son, Zeeshan Siddiqui, on the phone of one of the arrested suspects. The image was shared via Snapchat, a platform the shooters and conspirators used to communicate. Messages exchanged through the app were deleted after being read, complicating the investigation.
One of the arrested suspects, Ram Kanojia, revealed during interrogation that he was initially offered the contract to kill Baba Siddiqui for a fee of one crore rupees. Kanojia stated that fugitive accused Shubham Lonkar first approached him for the assassination but later backed out after Kanojia demanded a higher fee.
Lonkar then sought shooters from Uttar Pradesh, believing they would be less familiar with Baba Siddiqui’s influence in Maharashtra and thus willing to carry out the murder for a lower price. The Mumbai Crime Branch reported that Dharma Raj Kashyap, Gurnail Singh, and Shivkumar Gautam were subsequently hired for the assassination.
As the investigation progresses, the Mumbai Crime Branch continues to track down further leads, including the whereabouts of fugitive suspects and any additional conspirators involved in the murder.
