Mumbai:
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed accountability for the homicide of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique. The NCP chief, 66, was shot useless outdoors his son Zeeshan Siddique’s workplace in Mumbai’s Bandra East final evening.
According to the police, three shooters had been concerned within the homicide. Out of the three, two have been arrested – Gurmail Baljit Singh, 23, from Haryana and Dharamraj Kashyap, 19, from Uttar Pradesh – and the third has been recognized as Shiv Kumar Gautam, additionally from UP. A fourth individual, believed to be the handler, can also be on the run.
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The incident, which unfolded round 9:30 pm, noticed Mr Siddique and his affiliate focused by assailants who fired a number of rounds, fatally putting the politician within the chest. Hours after the capturing, the infamous Bishnoi gang claimed accountability for the assassination by a social media submit. Central businesses at the moment are investigating the submit, reportedly linked to a Facebook account belonging to Shibu Lonkar, who, sources recommend, may very well be Shubham Rameshwar Lonkar – an affiliate of the Bishnoi gang.
Shubham Lonkar was arrested earlier this yr from Maharashtra’s Akola for possession of unlawful weapons and is believed to have robust connections with the Bishnoi community. During police interrogation, Shubham confessed to speaking with Anmol Bishnoi, Lawrence’s shut brother, by video calls, linking him to the infamous gang chief.
The investigation into Mr Siddiqui’s homicide has additionally revealed that two of the shooters, Dharamraj Kashyap and Shiv Kumar Gautam, hail from Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich. Both are neighbours and reportedly labored as labourers in Pune earlier than being lured into the legal underworld. Bahraich Superintendent of Police (SP) Vrinda Shukla confirmed that whereas Dharamraj has been arrested, Shiv Kumar stays on the run. Neither had a legal document of their hometown, however sources point out they aimed to realize notoriety by associating with the Bishnoi gang, a connection allegedly cast throughout their time in a Punjab jail.
The suspects had been monitoring Mr Siddique for months, conducting reconnaissance of his residence and workplace, police mentioned. The police revealed that the suspects had been paid Rs 50,000 every upfront for the hit and that arms had been delivered to them solely days earlier than the assassination.
Both arrested suspects at the moment are in police custody, and the hunt for the others continues. Mumbai Police have additionally heightened the safety round Salman Khan’s residence – the positioning at which a capturing incident occurred.
On the evening of April 14, Mumbai’s Bandra neighbourhood was rocked by the sound of gunfire as two males on motorbikes fired a number of rounds outdoors Mr Khan’s residence. The accused, related to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, had been charged with conspiracy to homicide and different grave offences.
According to the cost sheet, the Bishnoi gang had issued a contract value Rs 25 lakh to assassinate the actor. The plan was hatched over a number of months, from August 2023 to April 2024.
Mr Siddique loved comradeship throughout occasion traces, due to this fact, his killing has drawn widespread condemnation from throughout the political spectrum, with senior politicians providing condolences whereas expressing outrage over the escalating violence in Maharashtra.
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Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was among the many first to react, calling Mr Siddique’s homicide “stunning past phrases.” In an announcement launched on X (previously Twitter), Mr Kharge mentioned, “The tragic demise of former Maharashtra Minister, Baba Siddique, is stunning past phrases. In this hour of grief, I provide my deepest condolences to his household, buddies, and supporters. Justice should be ensured, and the current Maharashtra authorities should order an intensive and clear investigation. The culprits should be dropped at e-book on the earliest. Accountability is paramount.”
Leader of Opposition within the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, expressed comparable sentiments.
“The tragic demise of Baba Siddique ji is stunning and saddening. My ideas are together with his household on this troublesome time. This horrifying incident exposes the entire collapse of legislation and order in Maharashtra. The authorities should take accountability, and justice should prevail,” Mr Gandhi wrote about his former colleague on X.
The homicide has triggered a political slugfest between the BJP and Opposition events. While the BJP has requested to not politicise the homicide, the Opposition, Congress particularly, has claimed a “full collapse of legislation and order in Maharashtra”.