Following the murder of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique, Mumbai Police suspended his security guard, Shyam Sonawane, who was present during the attack but supposedly failed to act.
Siddique was shot outside his Nirmal Nagar office, suffering two gunshot wounds to the chest. He was rushed to Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital but died on 12 October.
The police confirmed an ongoing internal investigation into Sonawane’s conduct.
In a new development, a photo of Siddique’s son, Zeeshan, was found on one of the arrested suspect's phones.
The image had been shared through Snapchat, with messages programmed to auto-delete after transmission. Authorities believe the perpetrators used Snapchat to coordinate the attack and maintain secrecy.
Mumbai Crime Branch also disclosed details of their investigation into the planning of Siddique's murder.
According to statements from the accused, Ram Kanojia was the initial person approached for the contract by fugitive suspect Shubham Lonkar.
Kanojia demanded ₹1 crore for the assassination, citing the high risk due to Siddique’s prominence in Maharashtra. Lonkar then opted to hire other shooters.
The police explained that Lonkar decided to recruit men from Uttar Pradesh, assuming they would be unaware of Siddique’s influence in Maharashtra and thus agree to a lower fee.
Consequently, Lonkar enlisted Dharma Raj Kashyap, Gurnail Singh, and Shivkumar Gautam for the task.
The crime branch’s statement highlighted that these men were chosen based on their distance from the local political climate, ensuring they would execute the plan without hesitation.
Mumbai Police continue to investigate the suspects' communications and financial transactions. They are also probing deeper into Lonkar's network to find any other accomplices involved.
The authorities aim to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy behind Siddique’s murder and determine whether additional figures were complicit in the plot.
Meanwhile, the NCP has demanded a thorough investigation and action against those responsible, urging authorities to ensure justice for Siddique and his family.
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