In a significant development in the murder case of former MLA and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique, the Mumbai Crime Branch has made the 11th arrest. The arrested individual runs a liquor shop in Kaithal, Haryana, and is accused of assisting the absconding suspect, Zeeshan Akhtar, in this case. He was reportedly aware of the entire conspiracy behind the murder. Additionally, the accused is involved in betting on cricket matches.
The arrested man, identified as Amit Hisamsing Kumar (29), was taken into custody by the Mumbai Crime Branch. According to police sources, Zeeshan Akhtar, who was released from jail on June 7, met Amit through a common friend. Akhtar had transferred ₹2.50 lakh to Amit's bank account. Amit withdrew the money in eight installments and handed it over to Akhtar.
A senior police official revealed that Amit has four previous cases registered against him in Kaithal, including charges of assault and rioting. Amit, a resident of Kaithal, is educated up to the 12th grade. He reportedly provided financial and logistical support to Akhtar, fully aware that Akhtar was planning the assassination of Baba Siddique.
Gurmel Singh, another arrested suspect in the case, also hails from the same district as Amit. Both Amit and Gurmel were introduced to Zeeshan Akhtar by a mutual friend. The Mumbai Crime Branch arrested Amit in Haryana, where he had been hiding in fear of being caught.
Amit was produced in court on Wednesday and remanded to Crime Branch custody. “The police said in court that Kumar was in touch with some of the alleged arrested accused and had provided financial assistance to Akhtar. The police said that he helped Akhtar find accommodation after the incident took place and that they have CCTV footage from the hotels where Akhtar was allegedly staying,” said Advocate Ajay Umapati Dube, the defence lawyer.
It is worth noting that 66-year-old Baba Siddique was shot dead on October 12 outside the office of his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique in the Bandra area of Mumbai. Investigators are yet to determine the motive behind the murder. They are probing various angles, including contract killing, business rivalry, and threats related to a slum rehabilitation project in Mumbai.
So far, the police have arrested 11 individuals, including two suspected shooters, Dharamraj Kashyap and Gurmel Singh. However, the main shooter, Shivkumar Gautam, and two key conspirators, Zeeshan Akhtar and Shubham Lonkar, are still absconding. A lookout circular has been issued against them to prevent their escape from the country.