According to reliable sources, in the investigation of former minister and NCP leader Baba Siddiqui's murder, Mumbai Crime Branch has uncovered that a prominent Pune leader was also on the radar of the Bishnoi gang. Reports indicate that the gang was plotting to eliminate this Pune leader as well, with the responsibility of executing this plan assigned to shooters enlisted in a "Plan B."
Sources reveal that the pistol recovered from Pune was intended to be used in this assassination attempt. However, during the ongoing investigation into Baba Siddiqui's murder, Crime Branch exposed this secondary plot before it could be executed. Due to the sensitive nature of the case, the name of the Pune leader has not been disclosed. Following the revelation of the Bishnoi gang's plan, the Crime Branch has shared intelligence with Pune Police, who are now on high alert. Investigations are also underway to determine if the accused had conducted any reconnaissance in connection with this plot.
Further details from sources suggest that the responsibility for planning the Pune leader's assassination was entrusted to Shubham Lonkar, the mastermind behind Baba Siddiqui’s murder case. The execution, however, was assigned to the Karvenagar gang from Pune, comprising accused individuals Rupesh Mohol, Karan Salve, Shivam Kohad, Gaurav Apune, Aditya Gulankar, and Rafiq Sheikh. Shubham Lonkar reportedly recruited these individuals as shooters specifically for the Pune plot. During questioning by the Crime Branch, Rupesh Mohol and his associates disclosed the gang's intentions to target the Pune leader. They confessed to having practiced firing specifically to prepare for the assassination.
According to the investigation, six firearms were brought to Mumbai before Baba Siddiqui's murder. Three were arranged from Rajasthan, while the remaining were supplied by Shubham Lonkar. Of these weapons, three were handed over to shooters in Mumbai for the attack on Baba Siddiqui, while two were taken to Pune by the accused Harish Nishad, who passed them to Praveen Lonkar. Praveen, in turn, supplied these weapons along with 40 rounds of ammunition to the Karvenagar gang, who practiced firing in preparation for the Pune attack, reportedly under Shubham’s supervision, including during a trip to Jharkhand.
However, before the Pune plot could be realized, the Crime Branch traced photos of weapons found on Praveen Lonkar's mobile and reached Pune, where they seized the intended murder weapon from Shivam Kohad's residence. Despite this breakthrough, the search for the 40 rounds of live ammunition continues.