In a shocking revelation, it has come to light that the murderers had been surveilling former minister Baba Siddique's home and office for over a month. According to sources, during this period, the assailants noticed that Siddique regularly parked his car at a distance from his office. The attackers, seeing this as an opportunity, decided to execute their plan near the office, where they believed they would get the best chance to carry out the shooting.
The investigation has uncovered that a monetary transaction of ₹5 lakh has taken place in connection with this case. The prime attackers, identified as Dharamraj Kashyap, Shivkumar alias Shiva Gautam, and Gurmel Singh, were staying at Patel Chawl in Kurla. The conspiracy to kill Siddique was reportedly hatched during a meeting in Pune, attended by Praveen Lonkar, Shubham Lonkar, and Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar. After the meeting, the assailants started frequenting Siddique's home and office in Bandra on two-wheelers.
On the day of the attack, October 12, the assailants reached Bandra East an hour before the incident. It was also revealed that the two-wheeler used for the reconnaissance was purchased for ₹32,000 from Pune. So far, the investigation indicates that ₹5 lakh was exchanged, and the attackers received the payment in cash. The Mumbai Crime Branch is actively probing the matter.
In a crucial development, the police found a black bag near the crime scene containing a pistol, an Aadhaar card, and a shirt. Shubham Lonkar, the main accused in the case, fled his home before the attack. Additionally, Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar was not present in Mumbai on the day of the attack, though he was reportedly in contact with the attackers via mobile phone, as per the investigation.
The interrogation of the arrested suspects has brought several startling revelations to light. The police recovered two pistols, three magazines, 28 live cartridges, five mobile phones, and two Aadhaar cards from the accused.
Dharamraj Kashyap and Gurmel Singh, the shooters, were arrested from the scene of the crime, and Praveen Lonkar, who assisted them, was apprehended from Pune. The police are now on the lookout for Shiva Gautam, Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar, and Shubham Lonkar, who remain at large. A lookout circular has been issued to aid in their arrest.
The investigation is ongoing, and further details are awaited as the police continue to unravel the conspiracy behind the assassination of Baba Siddique.