Social Media Friends Assist in Capturing Fugitive NCP Leader's Assassin

Four friends' late-night social media interactions helped police track down Shivkumar Gautam, who allegedly shot NCP leader Baba Siddique, in Uttar Pradesh. The group was intercepted en route to aid Gautam's escape. This led to his arrest near the Nepal border, where he was hiding.

In a dramatic turn of events, four friends whose late-night conversations on social media triggered suspicion were instrumental in the arrest of Shivkumar Gautam, accused of murdering NCP leader Baba Siddique, officials stated on Monday.

The arrest unfolded as Mumbai Police's Crime Branch collaborated with the Uttar Pradesh Police Special Task Force, capturing Gautam, Anurag Kashyap, Gyan Prakash Tripathi, Akash Srivastava, and Akhilendra Pratap Singh in Nanpara, a locality near the Nepal border.

Authorities were initially alerted by the unusual activity of Gautam's acquaintances, who were observed buying clothing of various sizes and arranging a covert meeting in a remote area on bikes, hinting at a planned escape via Nepal.

(With inputs from agencies.)