Picture of Baba Siddique's son found on phone of shooter
A week after the assassination of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, a picture of his son, Zeeshan Siddique, was found in the phone of one of the accused. According to Mumbai Police, this picture was shared with the accused by their handler through Snapchat. Baba was shot by three men near his son Zeeshan's office in Bandra, Mumbai on October 12. The police have arrested nine individuals in connection with the murder, including two of the shooters.
Murder plot details and firearms recovered
The messages exchanged on Snapchat were deleted on instructions from their handler, reportedly associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The murder plot included a huge cache of 65 bullets and firearms training via YouTube videos. The accused had first planned to carry out the attack on a motorbike but changed to an auto-rickshaw after a traffic accident involving two suspects.
Murder plot details and firearms recovered
After committing the crime, they changed clothes to avoid detection. The police have recovered two firearms used in the murder: an Austrian-made pistol and a locally manufactured country-made pistol. The investigation has also revealed that Shubham Lonkar, an alleged member of the Bishnoi gang, is a key suspect still at large. A Look Out Circular (LOC) has been issued against him and other conspirators to prevent their escape from India. Lonkar is believed to be attempting to flee to Nepal.
Key suspect at large, links to previous crimes
Another prime suspect, Shivkumar Gautam, who is still on the run, is said to have experience with firearms from celebratory firings at weddings in Uttar Pradesh. The police are also probing possible links between this case and previous crimes by Bishnoi's gang, including an attack outside actor Salman Khan's residence earlier this year.
