Mumbai, India — In a significant development in the high-profile murder case of Baba Siddique, Mumbai police have arrested Shivkumar Gautham, the main shooter, who persisted in Mumbai to confirm the death of the Nationalist Congress Party leader. Gautham, who was apprehended by a joint operation with Uttar Pradesh police, was hiding near Lilavati Hospital where Siddique was declared in critical condition following the attack.
Gautham, along with other assailants allegedly connected to the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang, orchestrated the attack on Siddique on October 12. The assassination, which occurred outside his son Zeeshan’s office during Dussehra festivities, exploited the noise of firecrackers as a smokescreen for the gunfire, according to investigators.
Post-assault, Gautham ingeniously changed his shirt and mingled with the crowd at the hospital, staying until he could verify Siddique’s critical status before leaving the scene. His continued presence in Mumbai, despite the intensive search operation, highlights a calculated move to ensure the success of their plan.
Officers, in collaboration with the UP Special Task Force, arrested Gautham on a Sunday while he was allegedly planning an escape to Nepal. The authorities have also detained four individuals — Anurag Kashyap, Gyan Prakash Tripathi, Akash Srivastava, and Akhilendra Pratap Singh — on charges of harboring Gautham post-assault. All accused are now in custody, with Mumbai police granted detention rights through November 19. To date, 23 people are arrested linked to this murder case.
The arrest sheds light on the broader implications of the murder, attributed to Siddique’s affiliations with Bollywood actor Salman Khan. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which has taken responsibility for the murder, has had a tumultuous history with Khan, especially after his conviction in a wildlife conservation case.
This incident has not only sparked discussions on gang influence in Mumbai but also raised concerns over the security of public figures intertwined with high-profile entities in the film industry. The case continues to be a focal point of both national security concerns and the intertwining of organized crime and celebrity interactions.
The Mumbai police are urging the public to come forward with any information that might help further elucidate the circumstances of Siddique’s assassination as they continue to tackle the specter of gang activities across the region. The police’s public relations officer emphasized the impact of community assistance in such cases and hoped that this would be a turning point in the fight against organized crime in Maharashtra.
As the investigation progresses, the city remains on high alert, reflecting the tense relationship between enforcement agencies and criminal syndicates that occasionally spill over into the lives of high-profile political and entertainment figures.