Man who provided financial, logistics support to Baba Siddique’s shooters arrested: Mumbai Police
So far, four persons have been detained in connection with the incident while the police are searching for a fifth suspect.
The Mumbai Police on Tuesday said it has arrested a third person accused in the murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, reported The Hindu.
The man, 23-year-old Harishkumar Balakram, hails from Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh.
He worked as a scrap dealer in Pune and allegedly provided financial and logistical support to the two men who are suspected to have killed Siddique, reported India Today.
Siddique, 66, was a member of the Nationalist Congress Party faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. He was shot dead allegedly by three men in Mumbai’s Bandra East area on Saturday evening.
Balakram fled to Bahraich after the incident. According to investigators, he was apprehended by police on Monday night. On Tuesday, a Mumbai court remanded him to the custody of the Mumbai Police’s crime branch till October 21.
The police had earlier arrested 23-year-old Gurmail Baljit Singh from Haryana and another person, who claims to be a minor, in connection with Siddique’s killing. The two are suspected to be the shooters who executed the murder.
A fourth person named Pravin Lonkar was arrested in Pune on Sunday.
Lonkar is the brother of Shubham Lonkar, an alleged member of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s group. Shubham Lonkar had in a social media post claimed the group’s responsibility for Siddique’s murder.
The police are yet to arrest Shivkumar Gautam, 24, also from Bahraich, who is believed to be one of Siddique’s shooters, reported The Hindu. Gautam is absconding.
Siddique’s murder took place on a day when the Mumbai Police was on high alert on account of Dussehra rallies that were being held by rival factions of the Shiv Sena. Opposition leaders criticised the state government for failing to ensure law and order and urged it to take responsibility for the killing.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde described the killing as extremely unfortunate and said he had directed the police to ensure that no one takes law and order into their own hands. “A gang war-like situation must not be allowed to rear its head,” he had said.