"9 cases registered against him..." Fourth accused in Baba Siddique's Murder linked to Jalandhar

Jalandhar (Punjab) [India], October 14 (ANI): In the ongoing investigation into the murder of NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) leader Baba Siddique, SSP Jalandhar Rural, Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh on Monday revealed details about the fourth accused in the case.

Siddique, who has been a three-time MLA from the Bandra West Assembly was shot dead on Saturday night. His son Zeeshan Siddique is the current MLA from Bandra East.

The murder was carried out by three shooters, one of whom, Gurmel Singh, hails from the village of Narad in Haryana's Kaithal district. The other two shooters are from Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh. Gurmel and another shooter, Dharmaraj, have already been arrested, while the third shooter, Shivkumar, remains at large.

Additionally, links to the murder case have surfaced in Jalandhar. Reports indicate that a fourth accused, identified as Mohammad Zeeshan Akhtar from the village of Shakar in Nakodar, Punjab, was involved. According to police, Akhtar was arrested by Jalandhar Rural Police in 2022 for organized crime, murder, and robbery.

Outlining the accused's criminal background, SSP Jalandhar Rural Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh while speaking to the media said, "Through media reports, we got to know in the evening that the fourth accused in the high-profile murder belongs to our area. He is a resident of Shankar village of Nakodar sub-division. He committed his first crime in 2021 wherein a case was registered against him. In this area, there are four cases against him... A total of 9 cases are registered against him. We are in constant touch with Mumbai Police and are on the same page..."

Mumbai Police Crime Branch on Sunday arrested the third accused Pravin Lonkar from Pune in connection with NCP leader Baba Siddique's murder case.

According to officials, the arrested accused, identified as Pravin Lonkar (28), is the brother of Shubham Lonkar, who is also implicated in the conspiracy. They allegedly enlisted Dharmaraj Kashyap and Shivkumar Gautam in the plot to kill Siddique, officials said.

Meanwhile, the ossification test of Dharmaraj Kashyap, an accused in the murder case of NCP leader and former Maharashtra Minister Baba Siddique, was conducted by Mumbai police, and it was confirmed that he is not a minor, officials said on Monday.

Siddique's last rites were performed with full state honours in Mumbai at Bada Qabrastan on Sunday.

Earlier, the accused involved in NCP leader Baba Siddique's murder revealed that Siddique's son Zeeshan was also the target of shooters.

According to Mumbai Police, the accused were given a contract to kill both Zeeshan and Baba Siddiqui. The accused claimed during interrogation that both Zeeshan and Baba Siddiqui were on the target and they were ordered to fire on anyone they found. Zeeshan Siddiqui, son of Baba Siddiqui had received threats a few days before the incident took place. (ANI)