Mumbai, India — Shiv Kumar Gautam, purportedly the lead gunman in the high-profile assassination of Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Siddique, has reportedly told authorities that Siddique was targeted due to his alleged connections with the infamous fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and Bollywood superstar Salman Khan. Siddique’s violent death on October 12 has sent shockwaves through political and entertainment circuits alike.
Gautam was apprehended this Sunday along with four associates near the border of Nepal in Uttar Pradesh. During his interrogation, he claimed to have been offered 10 lakh rupees, a trip abroad, and covered monthly expenses for carrying out the murder. Gautam identified his contact as Shubham Lonkar, who he says was acting under the orders of mobster Anmol Bishnoi to instill fear in Mumbai.
Police sources say that a day after the murder, Lonkar had posted inflammatory accusations online, linking Siddique with criminal underworld figures including Dawood Ibrahim and implicating Bollywood actor Salman Khan in the affair. His post read, “Salman Khan, we didn’t want this war, but you caused harm to our brother… Today, Baba Siddique’s integrity is questioned, and at one time, he was involved with Dawood in deals… We have no enmity with anyone, but whoever helps Salman Khan and the Dawood gang should keep their accounts clear.”
Authorities are meticulously examining these statements from Gautam and have noted the alignment between his account and the provocative social media post, though they remain cautious about the validity of these claims. Officers have reported that Gautam expressed no regret for his actions during interrogation.
The police investigation leading to Gautam’s arrest involved monitoring suspicious late-night internet communications among him and four associates identified as Anurag Kashyap, Gyan Prakash Tripathi, Akash Srivastava, and Akhilendra Pratap Singh. Observing their activities revealed plans to aid Gautam in escaping the country, utilizing a quiet forest route to potentially cross into Nepal.
The group reportedly engaged in discussions over encrypted calls, made with devices procured in Lucknow, and their unusually frequent communications at odd hours tipped off law enforcement, resulting in their eventual apprehension.
As the trial preparations begin, the focus remains on capturing key suspects Lonkar and Zeeshan Akhtar, also known as Jassi, who are still at large. Their capture is crucial, as they are believed to potentially hold deeper insights into the broader motives behind the assassination.
This high-stakes murder case continues to develop, keeping authorities on alert and the general public keen for answers around the tragic loss of a prominent political figure and the disturbing allegations of his connections with notorious criminal elements. The outcomes of this investigation may well have far-reaching implications.