Baba Siddique killing: Fourth accused arrested from Uttar Pradesh village

Police have arrested Harishkumar Nisad in the Baba Siddique murder case, bringing the total to four arrests as they investigate the conspiracy

MUMBAI: A fourth arrest has been made in the Baba Siddique murder case, as police continue to unravel the plot that led to the killing of the Nationalist Congress Party leader on October 12. The accused, Harishkumar Balakram Nisad, 26, was picked up from his native village in Uttar Pradesh. He was brought to Mumbai on Tuesday and remanded to police custody till October 21.

Baba Siddhique's murder case: 4th accused, Harishkumar Balakram, arrested by Mumbai police and produced at Esplanade court on Tuesday. Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

The Mumbai Crime Branch is still searching for the man they believe masterminded the operation, Shubam Lonkar, 30, an operative of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. They believe Shubam planned Siddique’s murder and hired the three hitmen – Gurmail Singh, Dharmraj Kashyap and Shiv Kumar Gautam. Two of the shooters, Singh and Kashyap, have been arrested, as well as Shubham’s brother Pravin Lonkar, who was picked up in Pune on October 13.

Police said that Harishkumar Nisad helped plan the murder operation and was present at meetings with the Lonkar brothers and the three shooters. The conspiracy was discussed at Pravin’s dairy in Pune.

Nisad also assisted with the logistics of the operation. He travelled to Mumbai a month before the murder and arranged rental accommodation for the three shooters in Krula, where they lived while conducting a recce. Nisad helped them execute a Leave and Licence Agreement by using their identity documents. He also handed them ₹2 lakh in cash given by the Lonkars for their daily expenses. Police said the Lonkar brothers and the shooters used Insta calling cards and Snapchat to share information, to avoid leaving any trace of their communication.

Who is Harishkumar Nisad?

According to the police, Harishkumar Nisad is a resident of Gandara village in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh. The absconding shooter, Shivkumar Gautam, and his arrested accomplice Dharmaraj Kashyap hail from the same district.

Nisad arrived in Pune seven years ago and initially worked at a scrap dealer’s shop. Later, he opened his own scrap shop near Pravin Lonkar’s dairy and the two got acquainted. Gautam met them two years ago and Kashyap joined them in Pune five months ago, and lived with the other two. After the murder, Nisad closed his shop and fled to his native place, police said.

Shubham Lonkar and his brother Pravin were arrested by the Akola police in Maharashtra in January this year under the Arms Act for supplying weapons to other miscreants. During that investigation, police found evidence that Shubam had been in touch with Lawrence Bishnoi. Lonkar also allegedly told the Akola police that after joining the Bishnoi gang, he had been sent for weapons training in Azerbaijan and Nepal.

The Lonkar brothers were released on bail a month after their arrest, and shortly afterwards, the Akola police stopped keeping tabs on them.

Following are the remand proceedings of today - can use as a box in main story

Fourth accused remanded

Harishkumar Nisad was produced before the Esplanade metropolitan magistrate’s court on Tuesday and remanded to police custody till October 21, after public prosecutor S N Vaidya told the court that the he was part of the conspiracy to kill Baba Siddique. Vaidya told the court that Nisad had lived with his co-accused in Pune and supplied cash to the shooters for the operation. He added that the accused hailed from the same village as the main shooter Shiv Kumar Gautam.

“He ran a scrap shop in Pune, and supplied money and provided logistical support to the three shooters. We need to inquire who gave him the money as he is just a scrap dealer in Pune,” the prosecutor said. “We need to find out how and from where the weapons were supplied to the shooters. He has played an active role in the crime,” he argued.

Advocate Ajay Umapati Dubey, who represented Nisad, submitted that the accused was a scapegoat and a victim of circumstances. Dubey said the accused was prepared to cooperate with the investigators and may be remanded to police custody for a short while.

Additional metropolitan magistrate Vinod Patil remanded Nisad to police custody till October 21, considering that the offence was serious and therefore custodial interrogation of the accused was necessary.