Baba Siddique Murder Case: Gurmail Singh Sent to Mumbai Crime Branch Custody Till October 2; Ossification Test Ordered for Second Accused

Mumbai, Maharashtra (October 13, 2024): An Esplanade Court has remanded Gurmail Singh, one of the accused in the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique, to the custody of the Mumbai Crime Branch until October 21. Police were not granted custody of the second accused, 19-year-old Dharamraj Kashyap. The court directed police to conduct an ossification test to determine his age before he is presented again.

#UPDATE | Mumbai: Baba Siddique Murder case | Court sent accused Gurmail Singh to Mumbai Crime Branch custody till 21 October

— ANI (@ANI) October 13, 2024

Siddharth Agarwal, the lawyer for the accused, said "The police produced the accused today. We objected to it and gave whatever grounds we could give to the court... The court considered all those grounds, and one accused has been given custody till October 21. And the second accused will be produced again after an ossification test... The police asked for 14 days custody but the court has given a custody of 7 days... If the court thinks further investigation is necessary, it may grant further custody."

#WATCH | Baba Siddique murder case | Accused lawyer Siddharth Agarwal says, "The police produced the accused today. We objected to it and gave whatever grounds we could give to the court... The court considered all those grounds and one accused has been given custody till October… pic.twitter.com/zLLPBITJLC

— ANI (@ANI) October 13, 2024

What is Ossification Test?

An ossification test is a medical procedure that estimates a person's age by analyzing the degree of fusion of their bones. It's a popular method for determining age.

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Singh, 23, hails from Haryana, while Kashyap is from Uttar Pradesh. The two men were reportedly monitoring Siddique's residence and office for one to two months prior to the incident. Police have said that they recovered 28 live cartridges from the accused.

Baba Siddique, a three-time MLA, was shot by three gunmen as he left his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Bandra East. As Siddique entered his vehicle, the assailants fired six to seven rounds, hitting him multiple times, including twice in the chest and once in the abdomen. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital in critical condition but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.  Following his death, police apprehended Singh and Kashyap, while two other suspects remain at large.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that Siddique would be cremated with full state honours.

Baba Siddique was a well-known figure in Maharashtra politics, having been elected as a Congress MLA three times from the Bandra West constituency between 1999 and 2014. He also served as a minister in the Congress-NCP government from 2004 to 2008 and also served as the chairman of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA).

DCP Crime Branch Datta Nalawade said that Siddique was shot outside his son’s office under the Nirmal Nagar police station. "Yesterday, between 9-9.30 pm, ex-state minister Baba Siddique was shot outside his sons' office, under Nirmal Nagar police station. An offence has been registered and the investigation has been handed over to the Crime Branch. Two accused were detained on the spot... Two pistols and 28 rounds have been recovered... We have the custody of the accused till October 21. We are investigating the Lawrence Bishnoi gang's role in the case... Baba Siddique did not have a categorised security, but three security personnel were given to him," DCP Nalawade said.

“Baba Siddique didn’t have categorized security but was assigned three security personnel from the Mumbai police. At the time of the incident, one of our security personnel was with him. We are investigating all angles in this case, including potential links to Salman Khan and Lawrence Bishnoi,” Nalawade added.

#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra | DCP crime branch Datta Nalawade says, "Yesterday, between 9-9.30 pm, ex-state minister Baba Siddique was shot outside his sons' office, under Nirmal Nagar police station. An offence has been registered and the investigation has been handed over to… pic.twitter.com/lHHY1d9yxL

— ANI (@ANI) October 13, 2024

He added that the Crime Branch is looking into the records of all accused and is in contact with local police in their native areas to check for any prior criminal records. “We are investigating all angles, including when the accused arrived in Mumbai, where they were lodged, and who may have harboured or financed them,” Nalawade said.

Regarding Lawrence Bishnoi's involvement, he stated, “We are investigating the authenticity of the social media post claiming responsibility for the incident.”

Read Also | Baba Siddique Shot Dead: Lawrence Bishnoi Gang Claims Responsibility Of Murder; Issues Warning To Salman Khan