Mumbai: Police arrested the fourth accused in the murder of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique from Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday, according to PTI.
The accused, Harishkumar Balakram (23), a native of Bahraich, was working as a scrap dealer in the Warje area of Pune. A police official reported that Balakram was involved in providing financial and logistical support to the shooters.
This brings the total number of arrests in the Baba Siddique murder case to four. Earlier, the police apprehended Gurmail Baljit Singh (23), a Haryana native and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19), an UP resident, both of whom are alleged to have carried out the shooting. They also arrested Pravin Lonkar from Pune, described as a "co-conspirator." A fifth suspect, identified as shooter Shivkumar Gautam from Bahraich, remains at large.
Accodring to the officials, Balakram was part of a wider conspiracy, along with Kashyap, Gautam, Pravin Lonkar, and his brother Shubham Lonkar, to assassinate Siddique, a three-time MLA.
Siddique was ambushed and shot by three individuals outside the office of his son, MLA Zeeshan Siddique, in Mumbai's Nirmal Nagar on Saturday night. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
The Mumbai Crime Branch has formed several teams to apprehend the remaining suspects, including Gautam, Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar, and others who are still at large. Investigators are examining several possible motives behind the murder, including the possibility of a contract killing, business or political rivalry, or disputes related to a slum rehabilitation project.
Baba Siddique, a prominent Muslim leader in Mumbai, was known for his connections to Bollywood stars, including Salman Khan. The investigation has turned its focus on Gautam, who hails from Gandara village in Bahraich. While local police said Gautam had no prior criminal history, he had recently posted content online flaunting his "gangster" status. Gautam had been working at a scrap shop in Pune before the incident.
Pravin Lonkar is accused of recruiting two of the shooters involved in the attack, while his brother Shubham Lonkar, who is still at large, is allegedly linked to jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. According to police, Shubham Lonkar and other suspects conspired to organise the shooting and supplied the firearms used in the attack on the NCP leader.
The authorities are also investigating a social media post, allegedly from a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, claiming responsibility for Siddique’s murder. Police have reached out to Facebook and Instagram to obtain further details about the post.