Baba Siddique murder: Shooters failed 10 times in assassination attempt last month before fatal strike
By Shweta Kumari | First Published Oct 17, 2024, 1:27 PM ISTIn a chilling revelation, police have disclosed that the suspects behind the assassination of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique, who was gunned down outside his son MLA Zeeshan Siddique’s office on Saturday, had made more than ten failed attempts on his life over the past month.
In a chilling revelation, police have disclosed that the suspects behind the assassination of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique, who was gunned down outside his son MLA Zeeshan Siddique’s office last Saturday, had made more than ten failed attempts on his life over the past month. The repeated bids to kill him occurred in and around the bustling neighborhood of Bandra.
“They were instructed to eliminate Siddique near his son’s office in Kherwadi since the area is wide open,” revealed a senior police officer, reported Times of India.
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Yet, fate intervened in Siddique's favor several times. “They never got the opportunity to fire on those occasions for various reasons. At times, Siddique didn’t show up, and when he did, their plan fell apart because he was surrounded by too many of his supporters," the officer added.
Baba Siddique murder: Arrests so far
The cold-blooded killing of Baba Siddique was carried out with meticulous planning, following months of detailed surveillance of Siddique’s movements.
The hunt for the culprits continues, and on Tuesday, authorities apprehended another key suspect, 24-year-old Harishkumar Nishad, from Kaisarganj, Uttar Pradesh. Nishad has been remanded in police custody until October 21, adding another link to the unraveling conspiracy. This arrest follows the capture of three others: alleged gunmen Gurmail Singh (23) and Dharmaraj Kashyap (21), as well as Praveen Lonkar, a milk dairy owner.
Lonkar's brother, Shubham, had sparked rumors connecting Siddique's murder to the infamous Lawrence Bishnoi gang through a viral social media post. Nishad, who used to run a scrap shop in Pune, reportedly closed it down two weeks ago without informing the owner, who had no idea of his whereabouts. The shop, located next to Lonkar’s dairy, had been a front for gathering young recruits from Nishad's home district.
As the investigation deepens, police seized a motorcycle that Nishad purchased and handed over to the alleged shooters for reconnaissance. "Praveen gave Rs 60,000 to Nishad to buy a second-hand bike.
Nishad rode this bike from Pune to Mumbai and delivered it to the shooters near their rented room in Kurla," a senior officer said. The bike was then used to scout Siddique’s movements in preparation for the fatal attack.
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