The Mumbai Police on Sunday arrested a fourth accused in Baba Siddiqui's murder case. The accused -- identified as Mohammad Zeeshan Akhtar -- has been arrested a day after three men shot at the former Maharashtra minister at Kher Nagar in Mumbai's Bandra area just outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique's office.
Two accused -- Gurmail Singh and Dharamraj Kashyap -- were arrested immediately after Baba Siddiqui's shooting on Saturday. DCP Crime Branch Datta Nalawade said that while the two accused have been arrested on the spot itself, one is still absconding.
"There were three people at the spot of incidence. Two have been caught and one is absconding... 15 teams of the Crime Branch are on the job... The angles of Lawrence Bishnoi, Salman Khan or any other angle is being investigated," Nalawade said.
Earlier today, the two accused, Gurmail Singh and Dharamraj Kashyap, were produced before the Esplanade Court in Mumbai. While the Court sent accused Gurmail Singh to Mumbai Crime Branch custody till 21 October, the police custody of Dharamraj Kashyap was not granted.
The court has directed to present the second accused again after conducting his ossification test.
A third accused, Shiv Kumar alias Shiva Gautam, who started firing directly at Baba Siddiqui, is still absconding. Dharmaraj Kashyap and Shiv Kumar are residents of Gandara village in Bahraich and worked at a scrap shop in Pune, Maharashtra.
Kaiserganj Circle Officer (CO) Anil Kumar Singh said Shiv Kumar had gone to Maharashtra a few years ago to work as a labourer and had invited Dharmaraj to join him.
Nalawade, meanwhile, said two accused have been arrested and 28 rounds have been recovered from the accused. Baba Siddique, a former Maharashtra minister, was shot dead by three assailants in Mumbai on Saturday night.
"Yesterday evening around 9.30 pm, when he (Baba Siddique) came outside his son's office he was shot. A case was registered in Nirmal Nagar Police Station premises. Two accused have been arrested on the spot itself. The investigation is being done from every angle. 2 pistols and 28 rounds have been recovered from the accused. An investigation is also being done from Lawrence Bishnoi's angle," Nalawade said.
He further said that three constables were with Baba Siddiqui at the time of the incident, but they could not do anything. One more person has been injured in this firing.
"Baba Siddique didn’t have a categorised security but he was given 3 security personnel from Mumbai police. At the time of the incident, one of our security personnel was there with him. We are investigating all angles to this case including Salman Khan and Lawrence Bishnoi's angles," Nalawade added.
Mumbai Crime Branch revealed that the accused had brought pepper spray. The accused had planned to spray at the victim and then fire, but the third accused -- Shiv Kumar Gautam -- started firing.
