Baba Siddique Murder: Investigation Reveals Shooters Learned Firearm Skills from YouTube Videos

Police revealed that the individuals responsible for the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique learned to use firearms by watching YouTube videos. They practised at a rented house in Mumbai's Kurla area. Siddique, aged 66 and a former Maharashtra minister, was shot dead on October 12 outside his son Zeeshan Siddique's office in Nirmal Nagar.

Four people have been arrested so far, including Gurmail Baljit Singh, 23, from Haryana, and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap, 19, from Uttar Pradesh. Both are alleged shooters. Harishkumar Balakram Nisad, 23, and co-conspirator Pravin Lonkar from Pune were also apprehended. Nisad and Kashyap are from the same village as the wanted suspect Shivkumar Gautam.

Firearms Training and Planning

Gautam was recruited as the primary shooter due to his experience with guns at weddings in Uttar Pradesh. He trained Kashyap and Singh in firearm handling at the Kurla house. They practised loading and unloading weapons by watching YouTube videos for nearly four weeks. Due to limited space, they conducted dry practice shooting without bullets.

The shooters intended to change clothes after attacking Siddique. One of them managed to change before being caught. Gautam had brought a shirt in his bag, which was found near the crime scene along with a firearm and documents. The plan was to reach the location using a two-wheeler used for reconnaissance of Siddique's home and office.

Execution of the Attack

On the day of the attack, two suspects fell off their two-wheeler and opted for an auto rickshaw to reach Zeeshan Siddique's office. They waited outside for an hour before attacking Baba Siddique. Pravin Lonkar transferred Rs 60,000 to Harishkumar Nisad's account, who bought a second-hand motorbike for Rs 32,000.

Shubham Lonkar, Pravin's brother, was questioned by police in June regarding a shooting outside actor Salman Khan's residence in Bandra. This incident is allegedly linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang network. Shubham runs a dairy in Pune and was arrested in January under the Arms Act in Akola district.

Connections and Communication

During interrogation, it was revealed that Shubham communicated with Lawrence Bishnoi's brother Anmol. After being released on bail, Shubham became untraceable on September 24 despite being monitored by police. The investigation also uncovered that those involved in Siddique's shooting used social media apps like Snapchat and Instagram to avoid detection.

The accused had planned meticulously but faced setbacks during execution. Their reliance on digital platforms for communication highlights evolving criminal tactics. The investigation continues as authorities seek to apprehend all involved parties.