Mumbai Police arrest scrap dealer in Baba Siddique murder case; total arrests rise to 10

Police have so far arrested 10 persons, including Bhagwant Singh, from various locations, including five from the Mumbai Metropolitan region for providing logistical support and firearms

PTI Mumbai Published 20.10.24 : Mumbai Police's crime branch investigating the Baba Siddique murder case on Sunday arrested a scrap dealer from Navi Mumbai for allegedly providing a weapon to shooters, taking the number of persons in custody so far to 10, an official said.

The accused has been identified as Bhagwat Singh Om Singh (32), originally from Udaipur in Rajasthan who is currently staying in Navi Mumbai.

Singh was produced before a court which remanded him to police custody till October 26, the official said.

Police have so far arrested 10 persons, including Bhagwant Singh, from various locations, including five from the Mumbai Metropolitan region for providing logistical support and firearms, in connection with Siddique's killing on October 12.

The former Maharashtra minister was fatally shot, prima facie by three persons, near the office of his MLA son in Bandra.

The suspected shooters in the custody of police are Gurmail Baljit Singh (23) and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19). The main shooter, Shivkumar Gautam, and two other persons involved in the murder conspiracy are on the run.

Total number of arrests reaches ten

This arrest brings the total number of suspects in the case to ten. Earlier, on October 18, the Mumbai Police had detained five additional individuals in connection with Siddique's murder. The Crime Branch conducted targeted raids in Panvel and Karjat, leading to the arrests of Nitin Gautam Sapre (32), Sambhaji Kishan Parbi (44), Ram Phoolchand Kannaujia (43), Pradeep Tomber (37), and Chetan Dilip Pardhi (33).

Roles of arrested individuals

According to police reports, Sapre and Kannaujia were considered leaders within this group, which allegedly played a crucial role in supplying firearms to the shooters. Investigations revealed that both shooters, along with other accomplices, had stayed in Karjat, where the group provided them with financial and logistical support.

Connection to Lawrence Bishnoi gang

The arrested individuals were reportedly in contact with members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which has been linked to Siddique's murder. The four persons arrested earlier include two alleged shooters who were overpowered by police and passersby at the scene.

Overview of Baba Siddique's murder

Baba Siddique, 66, was shot dead on the night of October 12 near Zeeshan Siddique's office. Witnesses reported that the attackers used a tear gas-like substance to disorient him before one of them opened fire, shooting six rounds from a 9 mm pistol. Siddique was rushed to Lilavati Hospital but was declared dead upon arrival.

The accused shooters of Baba Siddique had failed over ten times in the past before killing him on Saturday, October 13. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader was shot dead outside his son MLA Zeeshan Siddique's residence in Bandra.

A senior police officer said the shooters failed in their previous attempts to kill Baba Siddique for several reasons. “At times, Siddique didn’t turn up, and when he did, they were forced to abandon the plan because he was surrounded by too many of his supporters,” a senior police official said.

Consequently, the shooters were instructed to murder Siddique near his son's office in Kherwadi, as it is an open area, said police officials.

To date, the Mumbai Police have arrested four people in connection with the case. On Tuesday, October 16, they arrested 24-year-old Harishkumar Nishad from Kaisarganj in Uttar Pradesh. He is under police custody till October 21.

The arrested shooter of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed that Baba Siddique was “not a good man” and had connections with India's most-wanted criminal Dawood Ibrahim. Baba Siddique, the NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister, was murdered in a shootout by three armed men. The 66-year-old NCP leader was attacked outside son Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Mumbai's upscale Bandra area on October 12 night. Hours later he succumbed to injuries at Lilavati Hospital. Yogesh, with pseudonym Raju, linked with the Lawrence Bishnoi-Hashim Baba gangs, said, "Baba Siddique was killed because he was not a good man," reported PTI. Notably Raju, who was arrested in Uttar Pradesh, is not associated with the murder case of NCP leader.

Raju faces allegations in connection with the case related to the killing of gym owner Nadir Shah in Delhi's Greater Kailash area last month. Raju was arrested dollowing an encounter with a joint team of the Delhi Police's Special Cell and the Mathura Police on October 17 morning. UP police confiscated a .32-bore pistol, ammunition and a motorcycle that Raju possessed.

Ongoing investigation

The authorities are continuing their investigation into the case, aiming to unravel the full extent of the conspiracy behind the murder. As the case progresses, police are expected to conduct further searches and interrogations to identify any remaining suspects involved in this high-profile crime.