It has been 20 days since the murder of Baba Siddique, yet the main accused have not been apprehended by the Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch. Shivkumar Gautam, who shot Baba Siddique, along with key conspirators Zeeshan Akhtar and Shubham Lonkar, are still absconding. Multiple Crime Branch teams have been deployed in other states like Punjab, Haryana and near the Nepal border to track down these three.
The Crime Branch has arrested 15 suspects, including key accused Sujit Singh, but the motive remains shrouded in mystery.
This raises the pressing question of what the main reason behind Siddique’s murder was. Joint Commissioner of Police for the Mumbai Crime Branch, Lakhmi Gautam, stated, “We are exploring every aspect, and only after the investigation will we be able to reveal the motive.”
Siddique was shot dead on October 12. Following the murder, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang’s name surfaced, and this was confirmed with the arrest of the 15th suspect Sujit Singh. According to the Crime Branch, the current investigation suggests that Siddique was killed as part of a contract killing. It was discovered that the Bishnoi gang was hired for this, but the reason behind it remains unclear.
While the deceased’s son Zeeshan Siddique has hinted at a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) angle in each of his statements, the Crime Branch has yet to find any evidence to corroborate this. Until the three key suspects – Lonkar, Shivkumar and Akhtar – are arrested, it will be difficult for the Crime Branch to pinpoint a motive.
