Mumbai, Maharashtra (October 19, 2024): Shyam Sonawane, the head constable assigned to provide security for former Maharashtra MLA Baba Siddique, has been suspended by the Mumbai police due to negligence. Sonawane, from the protection branch, reportedly failed to respond when gunfire erupted during the attack.
According to reports, late NCP leader had two constables assigned to him during the day and one at night. The day shift constable left at 8 p.m. on October 13, while Siddique was shot dead around 9:30 p.m.
According to police, Sonawane, who is also a complainant in the murder case, claimed that the assailants used pepper spray and firecrackers, causing confusion. “Sonawane said that he could not see properly due to smoke from what appeared to be firecrackers, which hindered him from taking defensive action,” said a police officer, as quoted by TOI.
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Siddiqui suffered two gunshot wounds to the chest and was taken to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital for emergency treatment, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
In a related development, police discovered a photograph of Siddiqui's son, Zeeshan, on the phone of one of the arrested suspects. Authorities reported that this image was shared via Snapchat by the suspects' handler. Investigators have found that the shooters and conspirators used the platform to communicate, often deleting messages after sending them.
During questioning, arrested suspect Ram Kanojia revealed that he was initially offered the contract to kill Siddiqui for ₹1 crore (approximately $120,000). Kanojia stated that fugitive suspect Shubham Lonkar had first approached him and another individual, Nitin Sapre, about carrying out the murder. Knowing the potential consequences of such an act, Kanojia hesitated and demanded a higher fee.
Kanojia further disclosed that Lonkar later opted to hire shooters from Uttar Pradesh, believing they would be less aware of Siddiqui's prominence in Maharashtra and would accept a lower payment for the job. Ultimately, Lonkar recruited Dharma Raj Kashyap, Gurnail Singh, and Shivkumar Gautam from Uttar Pradesh for the task.
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