New Delhi: Another accused was arrested by the Mumbai Police in connection with the NCP leader and former Congress minister Baba Siddique murder case on Wednesday. The accused, named Amit Hisamsing Kumar, is 29 years old. He is a resident of Nathwan Patti in Haryana’s Kaithal. After Kumar’s arrest, the total number of suspects in police custody for Siddique’s killing has reached 11.
The Mumbai Police on Sunday had arrested a scrap dealer, Bhagwat Singh Om Singh, in Navi Mumbai regarding the killing . Singh, a resident of Udaipur, had allegedly given weapons to the assailants who gunned down the three-time MLA on October 12.
The former Congress minister was shot dead by a trio in front of his son Zeeshan Siddique’s Bandra office. Two shooters — Gurmail Baljit Singh (23) and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19) — have been arrested by the cops. However, the third shooter, Shivkumar Gautam, and two other persons involved in the murder plot are still at large.
Search stepped up for accused on the run
The Mumbai Crime Branch teams have stepped up their search for the accused who are on the run, particularly Gautam, who is supposed to be the main shooter.
It emerged during police interrogation that the hitmen practiced shooting in a forest located on the Karjat-Khopoli Road before targeting Baba Siddique. An official has stated that the accused practiced firing with a tree as the target. This practice was carried in a forest close to the waterfall near Palasdari village on the Karjat-Khopoli Road, the interrogation revealed.
It has also been revealed that the five suspects arrested in the case had demanded Rs 50 lakh for the murder. However, they backed out due to differences over the payment and the sway of the NCP leader. However, they still provided logistical and other support to those involved in carrying out the killing.
The arrested persons have been identified as Nitin Gautam Sapre (32), Pradeep Dattu Thombre (37), Sambhaji Kisan Pardhi (44), Chetan Dilip Pardhi (27), and Ram Fulchand Kanoujia (43).
