The Mumbai police are leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of Shivkumar Gautam, the third shooter wanted in connection with the killing of NCP leader Baba Siddique. On Monday, joint teams of police officers combed through places of worship in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain and Khandwa districts, searching for any sign of Gautam.
Six rounds were fired at Baba Siddique outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Mumbai’s Nirmal Nagar on Saturday, with two bullets hitting the former Maharashtra minister in the chest. Police have already arrested three individuals – Gurmail Baljit Singh, Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap, and Pravin Lonkar – in connection with the crime.
Gautam, who hails from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, has been flaunting his “gangster” status on social media. On July 24, he posted a photo of himself on a motorcycle with a Haryanvi song playing in the background, captioned “Yaar tera gangster hai jaani (your friend is a gangster)”.
The police are also on the lookout for Mohammad Yasin Akhtar, suspected “handler” in the case, who faces nine heinous criminal cases, including murder and attempt to murder.
The crime branch is probing various angles, including a possible contract killing, business or political rivalry, or threat over a slum rehabilitation project. Fifteen teams have been set up to track down individuals linked to the high-profile murder.
Pravin Lonkar, accused of enlisting two of the alleged shooters, has been remanded to police custody until October 21. His brother, Shubham Lonkar, is suspected to be associated with jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
The search for Gautam continues, with police scouring places of worship in Ujjain and Khandwa, famous for the Mahakal and Omkareshwar temples. However, no leads have been found yet.
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