After Baba Siddique, Bishnoi gang targeted another Pune leader: Police
The Mumbai Crime Branch has unearthed a plan by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to kill a high-ranking unnamed political leader from Pune. The plan was allegedly laid out after the murder of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique, which the gang has claimed responsibility for. A senior officer disclosed that "the Lawrence Bishnoi gang was planning to kill the Pune leader too and the responsibility of carrying out the crime was given to the shooters involved in Plan B."
'Plan B' and the arrest of a suspected shooter
The investigation into Siddique's murder uncovered that the gang had prepared the backup plan, involving shooters trained in Jharkhand. This plan came to light when the Crime Branch recovered a pistol meant for the assassination. On Friday, Gaurav Vilas Apune, a suspected shooter involved in Siddique's murder and part of "Plan B," was arrested.
Firearms training and further arrests in Siddique's murder
Apune confessed he and another suspect Rupesh Mohol went to Jharkhand on July 28 for firearms training under Shubham Lonkar's instruction. They returned to Pune on July 29 after a day of practice. The Mumbai Crime Branch is now working to locate where this training happened in Jharkhand. Meanwhile, two more people—Aditya Gudankar and Rafiq Shaikh—were arrested in connection with Siddique's murder and remanded in police custody till November 13.
Total of 18 arrests and recovery of murder weapons
So far, 18 people have been arrested in connection with Siddique's murder. A weapon used in his killing was recovered from Mohol's Pune residence. Another weapon was recovered from Ram Fulchand Kanoujia's rented residence in Raigad. Siddique was shot outside his son Zeeshan's office building in Bandra East on October 12. He suffered two bullet injuries and died at Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital.
Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for Siddique's murder
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for his murder hours after his death. Anmol Bishnoi is believed to be the mastermind behind the murder as he was allegedly in touch with the shooters prior to the incident. Further, an eyewitness was threatened to pay ₹5 crore or get murdered. A complaint in this regard has been registered at Khar police station. Further investigations into these incidents are underway.
