14 October,2024 12:51 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The bullet casings at the spot where Siddique was shot. Pic/Ashish Raje
Mumbai Police have identified six suspects in the Baba Siddique murder case, with three already arrested. The accused are Gurmail Singh, Shiv Kumar Gautam, Dharmraj Kashyap, Zeeshan Akhtar, Pravin Lonkar, and Shubham Lonkar.
So far, the police have arrested Gurmail Singh, Dharmraj Kashyap, and Pravin Lonkar. Shubham Lonkar, who claimed responsibility for the murder in a social media post, has yet to be arrested. He mentioned in the post that he was a member of the Bishnoi gang, which was shared by his brother, Pravin Lonkar.
According to investigations into the Baba Siddique murder case, Shiv Kumar Gautam and Dharmraj Kashyap worked in a scrap shop near Pravin Lonkar's dairy in Pune. The Lonkar brothers allegedly recruited Gautam and Kashyap to commit the crime.
Zeeshan Akhtar is suspected of organising the three shooters. Akhtar saw Gurmail Singh after being released from jail on June 7, this year. Police assume that while in jail, Akhtar was contracted by members of the Bishnoi gang to kill Baba Siddique or his son, Zeeshan Siddique.
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The court ordered an ossification test for Dharmaraj Kashyap, an accused in the Baba Siddiqui murder case, following his lawyer's claim that he was a minor. The test was conducted, and it was confirmed that Kashyap is not a minor.
He was presented before the court, which has now granted police custody until October 21, 2024, according to Mumbai Police Special Commissioner Deven Bharti. The case is part of an ongoing investigation into the murder, with multiple accused already in custody.
An ossification test is a medical process that assesses a person's age by analysing the degree of bone fusion. It is often used to determine age.
Baba Siddique was killed after being shot outside his Nirmal Nagar office. He received numerous gunshot wounds before being transported to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital, where he died on Saturday night. On Sunday, his last rituals were held in Mumbai's Bada Qabrastan with full state honours.
An ANI report quoted Chief Minister Eknath Shinde saying, "Yesterday's incident of Baba Siddique's murder is unfortunate and sad. Mumbai Police have arrested two persons--one from UP and the other from Haryana. The third accused is absconding. He will be arrested soon. They will not be spared, no matter who they are, be it the Bishnoi gang or any underworld gang. Strict action will be taken. Those who are receiving threats will have their safety ensured, as it is the state government's responsibility."