Mumbai Police Identify Anmol Bishnoi as Main Conspirator in Baba Siddique Murder Investigation

The Mumbai police have identified Anmol Bishnoi as the primary conspirator in the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique on October 12. This revelation came during a special court hearing where the police sought the remand of eight accused individuals under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The court, presided over by Judge A M Patil, granted police custody of these accused, including main shooter Shivkumar Gautam, until December 7.

Anmol Bishnoi, currently detained in a US prison, is now listed as a wanted suspect in this case. During the remand hearing, police stated that Anmol's involvement was uncovered during their investigation. They alleged he provided financial backing to other suspects and needed to trace the source and use of these funds. The police also mentioned that Anmol had communicated with co-accused through a messaging app, necessitating further inquiry into this aspect.

Details of the Investigation

So far, the crime branch has apprehended 26 individuals related to this case, including Shivkumar Gautam. Initially, all accused were placed in judicial custody by a magistrate court. However, on November 30, police invoked MCOCA provisions against all 26 suspects. Consequently, they were presented before the special court for further proceedings.

Before the court session began, journalists were asked to exit the courtroom due to objections from the prosecution about sensitive information in the remand application. The police requested further remand for eight accused, including Gautam, to conduct a more thorough investigation.

Legal Arguments and Court Decision

Defence lawyers Roopesh Jaiswal, Ajinkya Mirgal, and Dilip Shukla opposed the remand request. They argued that their clients had been in custody for over 40 days and that MCOCA provisions were not applicable as there were no prior cases against them. They also claimed there was no evidence linking these accused to a gang with two charge-sheets, a requirement for invoking MCOCA.

After considering arguments from both sides, the court decided to extend police custody for eight accused until December 7. The remaining suspects were sent to jail for 14 days by the special court. Anmol Bishnoi and Shubham Lonkar remain wanted in connection with this case.

Incident Overview

Baba Siddique, aged 66 and a former Maharashtra minister, was fatally shot on October 12 by three attackers outside his son MLA Zeeshan Siddique's office in Bandra East, Mumbai. He suffered two gunshot wounds to his chest and was taken to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai but succumbed to his injuries.