Baba Siddique murder case: Five held for providing firearms, logistic support to shooters

MUMBAI: Five more persons were held on Friday for allegedly providing firearms and logistical support to the shooters in the Baba Siddique murder case, a Mumbai police official said.

The total number of arrests in the sensational case now stands at nine, while three key persons are on the run.

Siddique was shot at and grievously injured on October 12 near his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique's office in Nirmal Nagar in Mumbai's Bandra area. The Congress-turned-NCP leader died some time later in nearby Lilavati Hospital.

Prima facie, the five arrested accused were in touch with conspirator Shubham Lonkar and mastermind Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar, both absconding at present, the official said.

As per police, Akhtar's links were earlier established with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and he is allegedly one of the masterminds of the politician's murder.

"Based on human intelligence and technical analysis, an operation was conducted by Crime Branch in various parts of the state, including Panvel and Karjat in neighbouring Raigad district, leading to the arrest of these five persons for conspiracy related to the crime and its execution," he said.

The official identified the five as Nitin Gautam Sapre (32), Sambhaji Kisan Pardhi (44), Pradeep Dattu Thombre (37), Chetan Dilip Pardhi and Ram Fulchand Kanoujia (43).

Sapre is from Dombivali, while Pardhi, Thombre and Pardhi (27) are from Ambernath in Thane district. Kanoujia is a resident of Panvel in Raigad.

"They were produced before court, which sent them in police custody till October 25. As per the interrogation of the accused, we have found that Sapre and and Kanoujia are key members of this module. The weapons used to murder Siddique were provided to the shooters by this module," he said.

Giving information about the firearms, he said they comprised foreign made Tisas and Glock as well as a country-made pistol.

"We believe the firearms were brought from north India. The delivery was done in mid-September. This module also helped with finance and gave logistic support to the shooters. Shooters Shivkumar Gautam, who is on the run, and Dharmaraj Kashyap stayed with the members of this module in August," the official said.

A probe is underway to find out if the module also helped the shooters gain firing practice in Karjat, the official said, adding efforts are on to nab the local contact of the accused persons.

"Sapre, one of the five arrested, is a history sheeter involved in a murder case in 2015. He is also named in cases related to attempt to murder and Arms Act. He was also in prison earlier. Kanaujia too is a history sheeter," the official said.

The Crime Branch will probe if these five have any link to the firing outside actor Salman Khan's Galaxy Apartments residence in Mumbai's Bandra area in April, the official said.

"The probe so far indicates there were more than two modules involved in Siddique's murder, with members operating on a need-to-know basis. The lower rung of the gang has been uncovered and we have reached the second layer, which has Shubham Lonkar and Akhtar. The arrest of Lonkar and Akhtar will help us get to the higher rung," the said.

Since the arrested persons are history sheeters involved in serious crimes, the police is exploring if the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) can be invoked, another official said.

Earlier, police issued a lookout circular against absconding shooter Gautam, conspirator Shubham Lonkar and mastermind Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar.

The four persons arrested earlier include two alleged shooters who were overpowered by police and passersby at the spot itself.