Mumbai: A photograph of Zeeshan Siddique, son of NCP leader Baba Siddique who was shot dead outside his office on October 12, was found on the phone of one of the arrested suspects, Mumbai Police said. Authorities revealed that this image was shared via Snapchat by the suspects' handler, raising concerns about the methods used for communication in the plot.
The Mumbai Crime Branch has been actively interrogating the arrested individuals, including Ram Kanojia, who disclosed critical information about the murder contract. According to Kanojia, he was initially approached by fugitive Shubham Lonkar to execute the assassination, with a fee of one crore rupees being demanded for the job.
Despite the lucrative offer, Kanojia hesitated, fully aware of the potential repercussions of targeting a prominent political figure like Siddique.
The crime branch officials said, "Ram Kanojia during interrogation disclosed that Shubham Lonkar initially offered a contract to him and one Nitin Sapre to kill Baba Siddique. Kanojia, who hails from Maharashtra, was hesitant to accept the contract because he was aware of the consequences. Kanojia then demanded one crore rupees for the job. Subsequently, Shubham Lonkar chose not to hire Kanojia and instead selected some shooters from Uttar Pradesh."
Kanojia's reluctance led to Lonkar to seek alternative shooters, eventually hiring individuals from Uttar Pradesh. He revealed that Lonkar believed these shooters might not grasp the significance of Baba Siddique in Maharashtra, making them more amenable to accepting a lower payment for the hit. Subsequently, Lomkar chose Dharma Raj Kashyap, Gurnail Singh, and Shivkumar Gautam for the task.
As the investigation progresses, police have issued a lookout notice for Lonkar and two additional suspects, Shiv Kumar Gautam and Zeeshan Akhtar, who are believed to be attempting to flee to Nepal.
Baba Siddique was hot twice in the chest and was immediately rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The incident has sent shockwaves through the political landscape, raising questions about security for public figures and the involvement of organised crime in political assassinations.
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