Mumbai Police arrest fourth suspect in Baba Siddique murder case

Police says 23-year-old Harishkumar Balakram, who was arrested in Uttar Pradesh, played a key role in the conspiracy to assassinate the NCP leader

Mumbai Police on Tuesday (October 15, 2024) announced the arrest of a fourth suspect in the murder of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Maharashtra Minister Baba Siddique. The arrest comes as part of an ongoing investigation into the case that has sent shockwaves through political circles and Bollywood community.

The accused, identified as Harishkumar Balakram (23), hails from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh. Police said that Mr. Balakram, who worked as a scrap dealer in Pune, Maharashtra, played a key role in the conspiracy to assassinate Mr. Siddique.

After the murder, he fled to his hometown in Bahraich, where he was apprehended by a joint police operation on Monday night, the investigators said.

This latest arrest brings the total number of suspects detained in connection with the assassination to four. Earlier, police had arrested Gurmail Baljit Singh (23) from Haryana and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19) from Uttar Pradesh, both believed to be the shooters directly involved in the attack. Additionally, Pune resident Pravin Lonkar was arrested as a co-conspirator, allegedly responsible for facilitating the logistics of the plot.

However, the investigation remains active as police continue their search for another key suspect, Shivkumar Gautam (24), also from Bahraich, who is suspected of being one of the shooters. Mr. Gautam is currently on the run, and authorities have launched a manhunt to locate him. His movements were last traced till Panvel.

Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang claimed responsibility for the assassination of Mr. Siddique allegedly for his close ties with Bollywood actor Salman Khan.

The 66-year-old leader was ambushed late on Saturday night near the office of his son, Zeeshan Siddique, an MLA, in Nirmal Nagar area of Bandra.

According to eyewitnesses, three armed individuals ambushed the former Minister, shooting him multiple times before fleeing the scene. Despite being rushed to Lilavati Hospital, Mr. Siddique was pronounced dead on arrival due to the severity of his injuries.

Police said the motive behind the killing is still under investigation, with political, personal, and business angles being explored.

Published - October 15, 2024 02:55 pm IST