A photo of NCP MLA Zeeshan Siddique was reportedly discovered on the phone of one of the suspects arrested in connection with the Baba Siddique murder case.
The photo was sent to the accused via Snapchat by their handler, who facilitated communication among the conspirators and the shooters. These messages were later deleted at the request of their handler, identified as Shubham Lonkar, who has connections to the infamous gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang.
A day after Baba Siddique’s murder, Shubham’s brother, Pravin Lonkar, posted on Facebook, alleging that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang was responsible for the crime. Previous investigations revealed that the accused had indicated that Zeeshan Siddique was also intended as a target.
The suspects further informed the police that Shubham Lonkar selected Dharmaraj Kashyap and Shivakumar Gautam for the job because they were not familiar with Baba Siddique’s significance in Maharashtra, making them more likely to carry out the murder without hesitation.
On Saturday, the Mumbai crime branch announced that the arrested suspects, Ram Kanojia and Nitin Sapre, were the initial individuals contracted to assassinate the Nationalist Congress Party leader, initially demanding one crore rupees for the job. Kanojia, who is from Maharashtra, was aware of the repercussions of killing Baba Siddique, which made him hesitant and lead him to request a higher payment.
To date, nine individuals have been arrested in connection with the murder, including two of the three shooters and Shubham Lonkar. The others arrested are Nitin Sapre (32), Sambhaji Kisan Pardhi (44), Pradeep Dattu Thombre (37), Chetan Dilip Pardhi, and Ram Kanojia (43), who are accused of supplying firearms and logistical support to the shooters.
Three additional suspects, including one of the shooters, are still at large, according to the Mumbai police.
Baba Siddique was shot by three assailants near his son’s office in Nirmal Nagar, Mumbai, on October 12. He was quickly taken to Lilavati Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Just 15 days prior to his death, Baba Siddique had received threats and was assigned Y-category security. However, only one constable was present with him at the time of the shooting. The constable was unable to protect the senior politician due to a “chili-like” substance that entered his eyes during the attack. The assailants reportedly used a device to create thick smoke, which masked the sound of the gunfire and obstructed the view of the shooting.
In response to the incident, the constable, Shyam Sonawane, has been suspended by the Mumbai police for failing to take appropriate action during the attack.
