Mumbai Magistrate Court has sent Pravin Lonkar, arrested in the Baba Siddique murder case, to police custody until October 21. He was apprehended by Mumbai Police from Pune. According to a police officer, Lonkar owns a dairy in Pune, where the murder plot of Baba Siddique was devised. Several meetings were held at this dairy, attended by Gurmel Singh, Shiv Kumar Gautam, Dharamraj Kashyap, Mohammad Zeeshan Akhtar, Pravin Lonkar, and Shubham Lonkar, to plan the killing.
Sources from the Crime Branch have revealed that Shiv Kumar Gautam and Dharamraj Kashyap used to work at a scrap shop near Lonkar's dairy in Pune. It is alleged that the Lonkar brothers recruited Gautam and Kashyap to commit the crime. According to a police officer, Zeeshan Akhtar, a fugitive in this case, is suspected of organizing the three shooters. Akhtar had met Gurmel Singh after being released from jail on June 7 this year.
A senior police official stated that Pravin Lonkar not only provided weapons and cash to the accused involved in Siddique's murder but also offered logistical support. The shooters were given an advance of Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 60,000. They were promised a significant amount after the murder.
On October 14, Mumbai Police informed the court that they have identified six suspects in the murder of Baba Siddique, which took place in the Bandra area. So far, three of them have been arrested. The suspects include Gurmel Singh, Shiv Kumar Gautam, Dharamraj Kashyap, Mohammad Zeeshan Akhtar, Pravin Lonkar, and Shubham Lonkar. The police have arrested Gurmel Singh, Dharamraj Kashyap, and Pravin Lonkar so far. However, Shubham Lonkar, who claimed responsibility for the murder on social media, is yet to be apprehended. He had posted on social media that the Bishnoi gang was responsible for Siddique's murder, a claim that was also shared by his brother Pravin Lonkar.
Mumbai Crime Branch arrested Pravin Lonkar from Pune and presented him before the court on October 14, where the court ordered him to be remanded in police custody until October 21.