Shots fired, accused brought pepper spray: How Baba Siddique’s killing was plotted

It was Shiv Kumar Gautam, one of the three main suspects, who fired shots at Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) leader Baba Siddiqui while he was bursting crackers outside his office in Bandra on the occasion of Dussehra, police said on Sunday.
While three of the other accused, Gurmail Baljit Singh, Pravin Lonkar and Dharam Rajesh Kashyap, were arrested, the fourth one who fired at Siddique, Shiv Kumar, is still on the run, police said while addressing a press conference earlier today.
Two others, Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar and Subu Lonkar, have been identified as accused in the case.
The police said that the three suspects were also carrying a pepper spray with them that they wanted to use on Siddique before shooting him. However, contrary to the plan, Shiv Kumar opened fire on the politician before they could use the spray on him, police said.
On Saturday, three assailants came on a vehicle, with their faces covered with handkerchiefs reached near Baba Siddiqui’s office. Before anyone could understand anything, Shiv Kumar opened fire on him with a 9.9 mm pistol. Police said that a total of six rounds were fired, one of which struck Siddique in the chest, causing him to collapse on the spot.
Following the shooting, Siddique was immediately rushed to Lilavati Hospital in Bandra (West) for treatment but was declared brought dead by doctors.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police also clarified that Baba Siddique did not have any category-specific security, after Congress leader KC Venugopal claimed that Siddique, who had a ‘Y’ category security cover, could not be protected.
“These constables work in three shifts. At the time of the incident (on Saturday night), one policeman was accompanying Siddique” Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime branch) Datta Nalawade said.
One of the constables was with him at the time of the shooting, but the accused shot him before they could do anything to avert the attack, he added.
“After the shooting incident, Assistant Police Inspector Rajendra Dhabade and a constable nabbed both shooters”, Nalawade said.
Meanwhile, the police have registered a case under Sections 103 (1), 109, 125, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 3, 25, 5 and 27 of the Arms Act, and Section 37 and Section 137 of the Maharashtra Police Act, Nalawade added.