Mumbai, Maharashtra (November 11, 2024): A Mumbai court has remanded Shiva Kumar, the shooter in the Baba Siddiqui murder case, along with four other accused to police custody until November 19. The five were arrested by a joint team of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and Mumbai Crime Branch in a coordinated operation on Sunday.
According to the UP STF, Kumar, the prime suspect, was attempting to flee to Nepal when he was apprehended. The other four accused—Anurag Kashyap, Gyan Prakash Tripathi, Akash Srivastava, and Akhileshendra Pratap Singh—are alleged to have assisted Kumar in his escape and provided shelter during his evasion.
A six-officer, 15-member team from the Mumbai Crime Branch, in collaboration with the UP STF, conducted the operation.
In their statements to the STF, the arrested shooters reportedly admitted that the murder was carried out on the orders of notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, currently incarcerated. The shooters also claimed to have received logistical support from Shubham Lonkar and Mohammad Yaseen Akhtar, who allegedly helped coordinate the attack.
Shiva Kumar further revealed that he communicated with Lawrence Bishnoi's brother, Anmol, via a social media app. He stated that they were promised ₹10 lakh for the murder, with additional payments promised thereafter. He also confirmed that the shooters were supplied with weapons, ammunition, and mobile phones for the execution of the crime.
Baba Siddiqui, a 66-year-old businessman, was shot dead by three assailants in Mumbai’s Bandra area on October 12. The investigation continues as authorities work to unravel further details behind the murder plot.
(With inputs from agencies)