Police report that a trio from Pune made two visits to survey Baba Siddique’s house and office
Police report that a trio from Pune made two visits to survey Baba Siddique’s house and office.
In a significant development in the high-profile Baba Siddique murder case, four men were arrested, including three from Pune, who reportedly conducted reconnaissance on the former Maharashtra minister’s residence and office in Bandra West. The accused—Rupesh Rajendra Mohol (22), Karan Rahul Salve (19), and Shivam Arvind Kohad (20)—allegedly surveyed both Siddique’s house and the office of his son, MLA Zeeshan Siddique, shortly after receiving their orders in June, according to Mumbai Crime Branch officials. Siddique was killed on October 12.
The suspects, brought to Mumbai and presented at the Esplanade Metropolitan Magistrate court on Thursday, have been remanded in police custody until November 4. An additional suspect, Amit Hisamsing Kumar (29) from Haryana, was also detained and is now in the custody of the Mumbai Crime Branch. This brings the total number of suspects in custody to 14, underscoring the complexity and planning behind the crime.
The accused have diverse backgrounds: Mohol, a third-year B.Com student with prior assault allegations, entered the scrap business, while Salve assisted his family’s hotel business. Kohad, who also completed his higher secondary education, has worked in the film industry. During interrogation, it was revealed that Pune-based criminal Sharad Mohol influenced Rupesh, who reportedly idolized him. Sharad Mohol was killed in a gang-related incident earlier this year.
Further investigation revealed the alleged masterminds of the crime, brothers Subham and Pravin Lonkar, who have ties to jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. It was found that on July 7, Kanaujia and Bhagwat Singh, two suspects, traveled to Udaipur to obtain weapons, returning to Mumbai on July 11. Mohol, Salve, and Kohad were allegedly implicated in the murder conspiracy, according to crime branch officials.
The arrested suspects include shooters Gurmail Baljitsingh and Dharmaraj Kashyap, apprehended after a gunman, identified as Shivkumar Gautam, fired the shots that killed Siddique. Information from the shooters led to Pravin Lonkar’s arrest on October 13, though his elder brother Subham Lonkar remains at large.
Harish Kumar Balakram Nishad, another accomplice, was detained on October 15 in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly aiding the shooters. Amit Kumar, considered a key link between the alleged mastermind and the shooters, has also been remanded. The crime branch has since recorded the statement of Zeeshan Siddique, the slain leader’s son, as the investigation continues.
