Patiala to Mumbai: How Baba Siddique's murder was plotted

Mohammad Zeeshan Akhtar, who came out of jail on June 7 this year, met Gurmail Singh, one of the accused in the Baba Siddique murder case. While in jail, Akhtar was allegedly given a contract to kill Siddique by members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, sources said.

In Short

• Shiv Kumar, Dharmaraj Kashyap worked at scrap shop in Pune
• Lonkar brothers hired Gautam and Kashyap for killing
• Zeeshan Akhtar was giving directions to three shooters

The Mumbai Police has identified six accused in connection with the murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, who was shot dead outside his Bandra office on Saturday. While three accused have been arrested, the police are on the lookout for the rest.

The plan to murder Baba Siddique was allegedly hatched in a Patiala jail with active involvement of members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, sources told India Today TV. Mohammad Zeeshan Akhtar's name surfaced on Sunday as one of the key people involved in the plotting of the NCP (Ajit Pawar) leader's murder.

Zeeshan, Pravin's brother Shubham and one Shiv Kumar, who fired shots at Siddique, have also been identified as the accused, and are absconding.

PATIALA TO MUMBAI: MURDER PLOT

Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar, 21, belongs to Punjab and was arrested in 2022 by the rural police in Jalandhar in a case of organised crime, murder and robbery. According to sources, he was lodged in the Patiala jail, where he met some members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, who allegedly gave him the contract to kill Baba Siddique.

Upon being released from jail on June 7 this year, Zeeshan met Gurmail Singh, another accused in the Siddique murder case, in Haryana's Kaithal. According to police, Zeeshan had been giving directions to Gurmail, Dharmaraj Kashyap and Shiv Kumar regarding Siddique's murder plot.

Even when Siddique was shot, Akhtar was giving information to the shooters about his location and helped them in renting a room and other logistical support in Mumbai, sources said.

HOW SHOOTERS WERE HIRED

Shiv Kumar and Dharmaraj Kashyap, two of the accused who have been arrested in the murder case, were scrap workers employed in Pune, next to Pravin Lonkar's dairy shop.

Both from Uttar Pradesh, Shiv Kumar and Dharmaraj were hired by Pravin and his brother Shubham Lonkar for the murder of Baba Siddique, sources said.

A day after his killing, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang took responsibility through a social media in a post made by Shubham Lonkar.

While three of the accused, Gurmail Singh, Pravin Lonkar and Dharmaraj Kashyap, were arrested, the other three, Shiv Kumar, Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar and Shubham Lonkar are still on the run, police said while addressing a press conference earlier on Sunday.

Meanwhile, one of the accused who was accused from the crime scene, Dharmaraj Kashyap on Sunday pleaded in court that he was minor and was 17-year-old.

Upon this submission by Kashyap, the court ordered an ossification test be carried out on him.

On Saturday, three assailants came on a vehicle, with their faces covered with handkerchiefs, reached near Baba Siddique's office. Before anyone could understand anything, Shiv Kumar opened fire on him with a 9.9 mm pistol. Police said that a total of six rounds were fired, one of which struck Siddique in the chest, causing him to collapse on the spot.

According to Mumbai Police, the accused had brought pepper spray and planned to use it on Baba Siddique before firing at him. However, Shiv started firing directly at him.

Following the shooting, Siddique was immediately rushed to Lilavati Hospital in Bandra (West) for treatment but was declared brought dead by doctors.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police also clarified that Baba Siddique did not have any category-specific security, after Congress leader KC Venugopal claimed that Siddique, who had a 'Y' category security cover, could not be protected.

"These constables work in three shifts. At the time of the incident (on Saturday night), one policeman was accompanying Siddique" Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime branch) Datta Nalawade said.

One of the constables was with him at the time of the shooting, but the accused shot him before they could do anything to avert the attack, he added.

"After the shooting incident, Assistant Police Inspector Rajendra Dhabade and a constable nabbed both shooters", Nalawade said.

Meanwhile, the police have registered a case under Sections 103 (1), 109, 125, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 3, 25, 5 and 27 of the Arms Act, and Section 37 and Section 137 of the Maharashtra Police Act, Nalawade added.

With inputs from Vidya, Gaurav Bassi