 "Baba Siddique")
Baba Siddique (Photo: PTI)
The shooters linked to the killing of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique learned to operate firearms by watching videos on YouTube, according to police officials.
The Mumbai Police’s crime branch, which is probing the incident, discovered that Shivkumar Gautam, an accused who is on the run, learned to handle guns during celebratory firings at weddings in Uttar Pradesh.
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Two suspects in custody, Gurmail Singh and Dharmaraj Kashyap, revealed that they hired Gautam for his proficiency with firearms. The group trained in a rented house in Kurla, practicing without live ammunition. Due to the difficulty in finding an appropriate location for real shooting practice, they relied on YouTube tutorials for nearly a month to master loading and unloading techniques.
Another accused, Shubham Lonkar, had been under police surveillance until September 24, following questioning in June regarding shooting near actor Salman Khan’s residence. Shubham is believed to have connections with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
In January, Shubham was arrested under the Arms Act in Akola, Maharashtra, where authorities seized over ten firearms. He was later released on bail.
Before disappearing on September 24, he had also been in contact with Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother, Anmol. The investigation has further shown that the suspects used social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram for communication, with Shubham suggesting these apps to avoid detection due to features like Snapchat’s message deletion.
Baba Siddique murder
NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique died at the Lilavati Hospital, following a shooting incident involving three assailants in Mumbai’s Bandra East area on Saturday night. Authorities reported that two individuals were arrested shortly after the shooting outside the office of his son, Zeeshan Siddiqui, near Colgate ground in Nirmal Nagar.
Lonkar on Sunday said he planned the murder of Siddique because of the latter’s close ties to Bollywood actor Salman Khan. The Mumbai Police have confirmed the gang’s involvement in the murder case and are currently looking into the events that led to the crime on Saturday evening.
From India to Canada: The Lawrence Bishnoi angle
Canada recently made new accusations against India concerning the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, with an unexpected name: Lawrence Bishnoi.
During a press briefing, Brigitte Gauvin, Assistant Commissioner of Federal Policing at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said that India’s main focus is on pro-Khalistani individuals. “It has been publicly attributed and claimed by one organised crime group in particular — the Bishnoi group. We believe that the group is connected to agents of the Government of India,” Gauvin said.
The reference to the Bishnoi gang by Canada emerged just two days after the group was implicated in the assassination of Baba Siddique.
Salman Khan told to avoid visitors at home
Salman Khan has been urged to limit visitors to his home following the murder of Siddique. In light of the threat by the Bishnoi gang, security around Salman Khan’s residence in Bandra, Mumbai, has been enhanced.
The actor, who has faced threats from the gang for some time, has been advised to refrain from hosting visitors in the coming days as a precaution. Although Khan has not personally barred guests from visiting, sources close to the family have indicated that the household is taking extra precautions due to the seriousness of the threats.
[With agency inputs]
First Published: Oct 16 2024 | 1:23 PM IST
