Kurla residents say the three would sleep all day and head out on bike riding three-up during the nights
Police Patil Chawl at Christian Gaon in Kurla West
The shooters of NCP leader and former MLA Baba Siddique had been living in a rented house in a Kurla village since September. Local residents were shocked when the suspects’ faces appeared on television and social media on Sunday. Neighbours had believed the three youths were either working in call centres or pursuing higher education.
Two suspects, Gurmil Baljit Singh, 23, and a UP resident claiming to be a minor, were arrested by the Nirmal Nagar police and handed over to the Crime Branch. The third accused, Shivkumar Gautam, 23, remains absconding. Residents told mid-day that the suspects spoke English fluently and had recently bought a second-hand bike from Pune. They also paid double the usual rent to their landlord. When police searched their residence, they found only 30-40 empty alcohol bottles and some clothes.
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The bike the shooters had bought
The suspects had been staying at Police Patil Chawl, on Agra Road in Christian Gaon, Kurla West. The 10x10-foot room had an attached bathroom, and the standard rent was reportedly Rs 7,000. However, the suspects agreed to pay Rs 14,000. A resident, W D’Souza, told mid-day, “These youths came in September and rented the room. They would come outside only to smoke. We noticed that they mostly went out late at night but stayed locked in their room during the day.”
“They would leave at night, riding their bike three-up, and return late. Based on their clothes and behaviour, we thought they came from good families. On Saturday night, I was watching the news when I saw their photos and immediately informed the police. I was shocked when I saw their photos in the news, D’Souza added. “I thought they were working in a call centre or some reputable firm, but it turns out they were shooters. Our entire village in Kurla is in shock after learning the truth,” D’Souza further stated.
Local W D’Souza showing the house where the shooters stayed
Another neighbour, speaking anonymously, said, “Every night, they drank alcohol at home. In the morning, they would collect breakfast and lunch from outside, and at 8 pm sharp, they would leave the house. They would return around midnight, sometimes as late as 2 or 3 am. They were always polite and seemed like students. We thought they had come here to study, but now we are shocked to learn they were shooters. It’s hard to trust anyone when renting out rooms.”
A police officer said, “For an entire month, they roamed around Siddique’s office and his son Zeeshan’s office in Bandra East to plan the shooting.” Police have seized CCTV footage from the area and are investigating how many visitors came to their residence since September. They also suspect the pistols and bullets were delivered to them at the residence.
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