Baba Siddique murder case: Mumbai police widen hunt for shooter to places of worship in Ujjain, Khandwa

NEW DELHI: Mumbai Police, in collaboration with their Madhya Pradesh counterparts, are continuing their search for the suspected shooter, Shivkumar Gautam, wanted in connection with the murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique. The joint teams are focusing on places of worship in Ujjain and Khandwa districts of Madhya Pradesh, where the accused, who hails from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, is believed to be hiding.

Three individuals have been arrested so far in the case: Gurmail Baljit Singh (23) from Haryana, Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19) from Uttar Pradesh, and co-conspirator Pravin Lonkar from Pune. The suspected "handler," Mohd Zishan Akhtar, is also wanted by the authorities.

When asked if the runaway shooter is a religious person who may seek refuge in these famous temples, a police official refrained from providing a direct answer, saying that they are also monitoring other locations. Khandwa is in close proximity to Amravati and Jalgaon in Maharashtra.

"A team of Mumbai Police in collaboration with MP police is looking for the accused (who hails from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh). They suspect he might be hiding in MP and searching him in Ujjain district and Omkareshwar (in Khandwa district) of MP," a police officer told PTI on Sunday.

Siddique, a 66-year-old NCP leader, was ambushed by three assailants outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique's office in Kher Nagar, Bandra, Mumbai, on Saturday night. He was shot and rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The police are investigating a social media post, purportedly from a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, claiming responsibility for Siddique's murder. The crime branch is exploring various angles, including the possibility of a contract killing, business or political rivalry, or threats related to a slum rehabilitation project.

Mumbai Police have deployed 15 teams across Maharashtra to investigate the case and apprehend the perpetrators.