The shooters responsible for killing Maharashtra politician Baba Siddique reportedly trained themselves by watching YouTube videos, according to police sources. Accused Gurmail Singh and Dharamaraj Kashyap were arrested shortly after they fired six rounds at Siddique outside his son Zeeshan Siddique’s MLA office in Bandra East’s Nirmal Nagar area. Baba Siddique, a former Congress leader who had recently joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was rushed to Lilavati Hospital where he was declared dead.
Singh and Kashyap, both in their early twenties, confessed to learning how to handle firearms through online tutorials. The police are currently investigating the locations where they might have practiced shooting. In the wake of the murder, Mumbai’s crime branch has recorded over 15 witness statements and continues to search for additional suspects.
Key Arrests in the Case
On Tuesday, Mumbai police arrested Harishkumar Balakram Nisad, 23, from Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, on charges of facilitating the crime by supplying funds and weapons to the shooters. Nisad, a scrap dealer from Pune, was remanded in police custody until October 21. He is believed to have transferred ₹2 lakh to the shooters through Pravin Lonkar, a co-conspirator.
Pravin Lonkar, who allegedly recruited two of the three shooters, was arrested earlier, while his brother Shubham Lonkar, reportedly linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, remains on the run. Shubham is suspected of being involved in previous violent incidents, including a firing outside Salman Khan’s residence in April this year. The Mumbai police had questioned him in June regarding that case but released him for lack of evidence. Shubham has been missing since September 24.
Ongoing Investigation
The crime branch is working to locate three more suspects, including Shiva Kumar Gautam and Shubham Lonkar. Gautam, also from the same village as Nisad and Kashyap, is one of the alleged shooters still at large.
Investigators recovered a 7.62 mm gun from a black bag near the crime scene, which is now being analyzed. The police are also seeking information from social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram, to verify a purported post from Shubham Lonkar taking responsibility for the murder on behalf of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
Baba Siddique’s murder has shocked the political and public landscape in Maharashtra, with calls for swift justice. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are continuing their search for the remaining suspects involved in the deadly attack.
Sources By Agencies
