Baba Siddique murder: 1 more person held; cops say he provided money

The Mumbai police have arrested one more person in connection with the killing of NCP leader Baba Siddique, officials said on Tuesday.

Harishkumar Balakram (23), hailing from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, was involved in providing money and other logistical support to the shooters, an official said.

Balakram worked as a scrap dealer in Warje area of Maharashtra’s Pune, he said.

A crime branch team apprehended him from Bahraich on Monday and brought him to Mumbai on Tuesday morning, the official said.

With this, four persons have so far been arrested in connection with Siddique’s killing.

Police had earlier arrested Haryana resident Gurmail Baljit Singh (23), Uttar Pradesh native Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19), both alleged shooters, and ‘co-conspirator’ Pravin Lonkar from Pune.

Another suspected shooter, Shivkumar Gautam, who hails from Bahraich, is on the run.

Balakram, along with Kashyap, Gautam, Pravin Lonkar and the latter’s brother Shubham Lonkar, was part of the conspiracy to kill three-time MLA Baba Siddique, the official said.

Baba Siddique (66) was waylaid by three persons in Mumbai’s Nirmal Nagar area, just outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique’s office, and shot at on Saturday night. He was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital where he was declared dead, according to police.

The Mumbai crime branch has formed various teams to nab Shivkumar Gautam, accused Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar and other persons wanted in the case.

The crime branch was also probing various angles, including a possible contract killing, business or political rivalry or threat over a slum rehabilitation project, according to officials.