Mumbai: One more person arrested in Baba Siddique murder case
Third person Harishkumar Balakram hailing from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh arrested in Baba Siddique murder case
By Newsmeter Network Published on 15 Oct 2024 9:58 AM GMT
Maharashtra: Slain leader Baba Siddique with NCP Ajit Pawar
Mumbai: The Mumbai police have arrested one more person in connection with the killing of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, officials said on Tuesday.
The accused has been identified as Harishkumar Balakram (23), hailing from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, an official said. Balakram was working as a scrap dealer in Maharashtra's Pune, he said, adding the accused was also part of the conspiracy to kill Siddique.
He was nabbed from Bahraich, the official said.
With this, four persons have so far been arrested in connection with Siddique's killing. Police had earlier arrested Haryana resident Gurmail Baljit Singh (23), Uttar Pradesh native Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19), both alleged shooters, and "co-conspirator" Pravin Lonkar from Pune.
Another suspected shooter Shivkumar Gautam, who hails from Bahraich, is on the run.
Baba Siddique (66) was waylaid by three persons in Mumbai's Nirmal Nagar area, just outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique's office, and shot at on Saturday night. He was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital where he was declared dead, according to police.
Premediated murder
A Mumbai police official said that the murder of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique is suspected to be premeditated. The Crime Branch has launched a probe and is looking at different angles for the murder; a possible contract killing, business rivalry or threats over a slum rehabilitation project. A hue and cry has been raised in Mumbai over the killing as questions are being raised such as āHow was it possible to shoot a Y-security level individual from close range?ā
Police said that the assailants fired at Baba Siddique while firecrackers were being burst at a Durga Visarjan procession on October 12 night. They got an advantage as most people could not hear the gunshots, the police said.
Police recovered 28 live bullets and they are checking CCTV footage in the area to understand the movement of the contract killers.
(Inputs from PTI)
