Baba Siddique murder: LOC issued against shooter, conspirators

Accused had recced the slain leader’s home and office several times in 25 days; carried fresh shirts to change into after the act

MUMBAI: The Mumbai crime branch has issued a look-out circular (LOC) to prevent the escape of Shivkumar Gautam, the alleged killer of Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) leader Baba Siddique, and the masterminds behind the high-profile murder, Lawrence Bishnoi gang members Shubham Lonkar and Jalandhar-based history sheeter Mohammad Zeeshan Akthar.

**EDS: SCREENGRAB VIA PTI VIDEOS** Mumbai: MLA Zeeshan Siddique, son of late NCP leader Baba Siddique, reaches the Police Commissioner's office, in Mumbai, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. Shooters involved in the killing of NCP politician Baba Siddique learnt to handle firearms by watching videos on YouTube at a rented house in Kurla area of Mumbai, officials said on Wednesday. (PTI Photo)(PTI10_16_2024_000308B) (PTI)

The move will prevent their escape from the country and also help cops nab them if they attempt to flee abroad, said a police officer.

Since the murder of the NCP leader outside his son MLA Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Khernagar, Bandra East, on Saturday evening, the main shooter Shivkumar Gautam has been on the run. Police later found that Gautam and two others who had accompanied him to the spot -- Gurmil Baljitsingh and Dharmaraj Kashyap -- were in touch with Akola based Shubham Lonkar and his brother Pravin who runs a dairy in Warje, Pune.

While in Maharashtra, the shooters were in touch with Shubham, who was earlier arrested by the Akola police in an Arms Act case; during their stay in north India, they were in touch with Akthar, a history-sheeter from Jalandhar. Both Shubham and Akhtar were working for the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, said the officers.

“They were carrying extra shirts, which they intended to change into after the shooting to make it difficult for the police to identify them through CCTV footage and flee from the city,” said a police officer.

The officer told HT that Shubham’s brother Pravin had transferred ₹60,000 to the bank account of the shooters, which they used to purchase a second hand TVS Apache bike by paying ₹32,000 from Pune. They were supposed to use the vehicle on Saturday. “However, just before the incident, they met with a minor accident, due to which they dropped the plan and instead took an auto to reach Khernagar from Kurla, where they were residing,” said the officer.

It is believed, the accused had recced the spot of the deceased leader several times in the last 25 days and studied the locality. “They knew Baba Siddique used to walk from his son’s office to the spot where his SUV used to be parked,” said a police officer.

“The shooters, especially Gurmail Baljeet Singh, who was already facing a murder charge in Haryana, was promised by the accused that he will get money, helped to flee the country. Shubham Lonkar has already travelled abroad, and we suspect this time they may try to flee the country as well,” said the officer.

A team from crime branch is also revising the direct role of Lawrence Bishnoi, as in such cases, his brother Anmol Bishnoi is known to take responsibility through social media. In this case, Shubham Lonkar took the responsibility. “Perhaps people in the lower rung of the gang might have taken the contract to kill Siddique,” said the officer.

Police have seized three weapons -- a high-end Australian made Glock pistol, a Turkish pistol and a country made pistol – which have been sent to the forensic laboratory in Kalina to match with the bullets found in Baba Siddique’s body.

Meanwhile, Zeeshan Siddique met the joint commissioner of police, crime branch, Lakhmi Gautam, who is supervising the investigation, and was updated about the course of investigation.