Mumbai Crime Branch Makes New Arrest in Baba Siddiqui Murder Case

Mumbai Crime Branch has apprehended Bhagwant Singh in connection with the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddiqui. Singh is suspected of assisting the shooters by providing shelter and transporting weapons. The investigation reveals that he may have used social media platforms to communicate with other conspirators.

The Mumbai Crime Branch has made a significant breakthrough in the murder case of NCP leader Baba Siddiqui with the recent arrest of Bhagwant Singh. Singh is now the tenth person to be taken into custody in the ongoing investigation, as confirmed by the Mumbai Police on Sunday.

Identified as a key figure in the crime, Bhagwant Singh stands accused of aiding the convicted shooters by providing them with shelter and weapons. Additionally, he allegedly facilitated the transport of firearms from Rajasthan to Mumbai. Baba Siddiqui was fatally shot outside his office in Nirmal Nagar, sustaining two gunshot wounds to the chest before succumbed to his injuries at Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital on October 12.

In a related development, Mumbai Police has suspended Shyam Sonawane, a police security guard who was present during the incident. The police assert that Sonawane, tasked with Siddiqui's protection, failed to act against the attackers at the critical moment. Meanwhile, the police are investigating a Snapchat photograph of Zeeshan Siddiqui, Baba Siddiqui's son, found in the phone of one of the detained suspects, which was reportedly shared by a handler to coordinate the assassination plot.

The murder plot's intricate coordination reportedly involved the use of Snapchat to communicate plans, deleting messages post-instruction. Accused Ram Kanojia divulged during interrogation that he was initially offered the contract to kill Siddiqui for a fee of one crore rupees by fugitive Shubham Lonkar. Initially hesitant, Kanojia demanded the exorbitant fee due to the risks involved, leading Lonkar to opt for other shooters from Uttar Pradesh.

The Crime Branch revealed that Lonkar hired Dharma Raj Kashyap, Gurnail Singh, and Shivkumar Gautam from Uttar Pradesh, perceiving them as less aware of Baba Siddiqui's prominence, and thus amenable to a lower payment to carry out the crime. Investigations continue as the authorities piece together the full extent of the network behind this brazen assassination.

(With inputs from agencies.)