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Shivkumar Gautam, the alleged key shooter in the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique, stayed at the crime scene for nearly 20 minutes after the fatal shooting on October 12, a police official revealed on Thursday.
According to the official, Gautam changed his clothes and returned to the spot shortly after committing the crime. He disposed of a bag containing his shirt, pistol, and Aadhaar card at the location. "After the shooting, he observed that people were panicked, and a significant police presence had gathered. Officers were questioning bystanders for leads about the culprits," the official stated.
Gautam noticed two of his associates being apprehended at the scene. To avoid suspicion, he took an autorickshaw to Lilavati Hospital, where Siddique had been admitted, to confirm whether the NCP leader had succumbed to his injuries. At 10:47 PM, Gautam left for Kurla railway station. While travelling by train, he discarded his mobile phone. Authorities are actively working to trace the device.
Meanwhile, a suspect detained from a border village in Punjab was released after investigators found no evidence of his involvement in the case.
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Interrogations of the accused revealed critical links to Shubham Lonkar, a wanted suspect who maintained direct contact with Anmol Bishnoi, the brother of incarcerated gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. According to the Crime Branch, Lonkar underwent weapons training in dense forests near Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, approximately 50 kilometres away, in July.
"Lonkar trained with an AK-47 rifle over four days. He was accompanied by arrested suspects Vilas Apune and Rupesh Mohol. The group had travelled to Mahakal before the training, which lasted five days in total," the official added. Investigators are probing whether Lonkar received training from Naxalite groups. He had reportedly warned Apune and Mohol not to disclose details of their activities.
The investigation also uncovered information that a Pune corporator was targeted by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
In the broader conspiracy behind Siddique's assassination, police found that accused Anurag Kashyap and Gyan Prakash Tripathi had transferred funds to scrap dealer Harish Kumar. "Harish funnelled the money into various accounts and provided his ATM card to the shooters for withdrawals," the official noted.
Baba Siddique (66) was fatally shot by three gunmen near the Bandra office of his son, MLA Zeeshan Siddique, on October 12. The case continues to unfold as authorities investigate the network behind the murder.
(With inputs from PTI)
