In a significant breakthrough, the Mumbai Crime Branch has uncovered startling details during the interrogation of suspects arrested in the murder case of former minister and NCP leader Baba Siddique. The shooters were allegedly misled into believing that Siddique had connections with fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, who is considered an enemy of India.
According to sources in the Crime Branch, Baba Siddique was assassinated on October 12. During the investigation, the main shooter, Shiv Kumar Gautam, revealed that he had been told by Anmol Bishnoi that Siddique was linked to Dawood, who had orchestrated several bomb blasts in India and was the country's most wanted criminal.
Gautam also admitted that before the murder, he had watched several videos on YouTube about Dawood Ibrahim. These videos portrayed Dawood as being involved in numerous terrorist activities across the country.
The Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested 26 individuals, including Shiv Kumar Gautam, in connection with Siddique's murder. All accused have been booked under stringent provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA). A senior police official stated that the application of MCOCA underscores the gravity of the case.
The police secured the remand of eight accused, including Gautam, until December 7 for further investigation. Meanwhile, the special court has sent the remaining accused to 14 days of judicial custody.
Under MCOCA, statements made before the police hold significant evidentiary value in court, and obtaining bail under this act is highly challenging. This legal framework has tightened the noose around the accused in this high-profile case.
Three individuals—Shubham Rameshwar Lonkar, Zeeshan Mohammad Akhtar, and Anmol Bishnoi—are still on the wanted list. However, Anmol Bishnoi was recently arrested in the United States. Indian agencies are now pursuing his extradition to face trial in India.
The case remains under intense scrutiny as the Crime Branch continues its investigation to unravel the motives and wider conspiracy behind the assassination of Baba Siddique.