Fourth accused arrested in UP in Baba Siddique murder case

A fourth accused in the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique was arrested by the Mumbai Police in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich. One individual was also detained in connection with the case.

In Short

• Accused provided shelter and funding to shooters of Baba Siddique
• He also gave them mobile phone, rented home and bike to commit the crime
• Baba Siddique was shot dead on October 12, 4 accused arrested so far

The Mumbai Police on Tuesday arrested a fourth suspect from Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich in connection with the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique. The accused, Harishkumar Balakram, was arrested on charges of being involved in the conspiracy, including providing money and logistical support to the shooters.

Harishkumar Balakram (23), a resident of Bahraich, worked as a scrap dealer in Pune. He is the fourth individual to be arrested after Gurmail Baljit Singh (23), a resident of Haryana, Dharmaraj Kashyap (19) from Uttar Pradesh - both accused shooters - and Pravin Lonkar, a Pune-based co-conspirator.

Earlier, the Mumbai Police detained Harishkumar Balakram and one more accused in the case. They were also searching for a seventh accused in connection with the matter.

Harishkumar Balakram's scrap shop was being used by Dharmaraj Kashyap and Shivprasad Gautam. The second individual who got detained is Anurag Kashyap, the brother of Dharmaraj Kashyap.

The accused provided money to Dharmaraj Kashyap, Shivprasad Gautam and Anurag Kashyap, and a rented home to them in Mumbai's Kurla, and a bike.

Harishkumar Balakram was aware of Baba Siddique's murder and had also bought a new mobile for Shivprasad Gautam and Dharmaraj Kashyap, a few days before they committed the crime.

Meanwhile, the police recovered two pistols from two arrested accused. One weapon is a glock pistol while another is a country-made pistol. So far, the other three accused - Shubham Lonkar, Shiv Kumar Gautam and Mohammad Zeeshan Akhtar - are on the run.

Gurmail Singh and Dharmaraj Kashyap are in police custody till October 21.

The Mumbai Police is looking for a seventh accused in the Baba Siddique murder case. The accused is crucial as he is the link between the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which claimed responsibility for the murder, and the shooters involved.

Baba Siddique was waylaid by three people in Mumbai's Bandra just outside his MLA-son Zeeshan Siddique's office and was shot at on the night of October 12. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he was declared dead.

Siddique was laid to rest the next day with state honours in the presence of a large number of people and political leaders amid tight security.

(with inputs from PTI)