Baba Siddique shot dead: Both accused sent to Mumbai Crime Branch custody till October 21

Accused being taken from NM Joshi police station to Esplanade Court in Mumbai on Sunday, October 13. Pic/Shadab Khan

A day after former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai by three assailants, the Mumbai Police presented two of the accused before the holiday court on Sunday, October 13, under heavy security. Deputy Commissioner of Police (detection 1) Vishal Thakur was also present in the court.

Both the accused have been sent to the custody of crime branch till October 21. The court has also asked the police to conduct an ossification test of one of the accused who claimed that he is 17 years old.

The police, countering his claim, said that the accused was misleading the court and that he was 19 years old.

To this, the defence lawyer argued that his client was a minor and if the police had any documents to establish otherwise, they should produce the evidence before the court.

Following this, the court asked the police to produce documents to verify his age. The police stated that they would soon produce the accused's Aadhar Card - which they had seized during the panchnama - before the court to verify his age. The court then granted the police an additional five minutes to produce the documents.

The police presented the accused's Aadhar Card before the magistrate. The defence lawyer was also shown the Aadhar Card.

According to the police, the accused was 21 years old, as his Aadhar Card showed his date of birth as March 1, 2003.

Baba Siddique shot dead: Fake Aadhar Card of accused created, say Mumbai Police

However, the Aadhar Card presented to the court had another name. When questioned, the accused claimed that while the photo on the card was his, he was unaware of the other details. The police then stated that a fake identity had been created.

The court asked the police if there were any other documents apart from the Aadhar card.

The public prosecutor informed the court that only the Aadhar card was recovered during the panchnama and that the investigation was still in the preliminary stages, adding that an ossification test could be conducted, if the court deemed it necessary.

To this, the accused insisted that that he was minor and raised no objection for the ossification test.

The police further informed the court that the arrested duo had conducted a recce of the area where Baba Siddique was shot dead. They also said that the accused had stayed in Pune and Mumbai.

Baba Siddique shot dead: Mumbai cops probe Lawrence Bishnoi angle

"The murder of Baba Siddique was well-planed and executed. It is very important to find out their motive and we are not sure if they plan to kill another person. Two other accused remain at large," the public prosecutor told the court.

Mumbai Police's Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC), which is investigating the case, sought 14-day custody of both the accused. "There are certain things which we cannot reveal in open court," AEC said while presenting the case diary before the magistrate.

Meanwhile, in a press briefing on Sunday evening, Datta Nalawade, Deputy Commissioner of Police- Crime Branch (detection), confirmed that the absconding accused in the case, Shivkumar Gautam, fired at Siddiqui and fled with the pistol. The police have found two pistols with the accused who have been arrested, along with 28 live bullets. Four mobile phones have also been recovered from the duo.

Nalawade further stated that Baba Siddique had police protection but it was not categorised security as some claimed. Constables had been assigned for his security round the clock, with one personnel deployed with the late NCP leader for a period of eight hours. "We are investigating the Lawrence Bishnoi angle," he added.