Mumbai: In a shocking revelation, Mumbai Police have disclosed that the assailants involved in the murder of former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Baba Siddique learned to shoot by watching YouTube videos.
The accused, Gurmail Singh and Dharamraj Kashyap, were arrested shortly after the incident. According to the police, the shooters practiced without a magazine and used Siddique’s photo for target practice.
The investigation has led to the arrest of four individuals, with three others still at large.
The crime branch of the Mumbai Police is investigating the case and has recovered a black bag containing a 7.62 mm gun, said police.
“The accused were given Baba Siddique’s photo to identify him. The shooters had surveyed his residence and office 25 days before the incident. Gurmail Singh and Dharamraj Kashyap learned shooting from YouTube and practised shooting without a magazine in Mumbai,” ANI quoted the Mumbai Police as saying.
The crime branch has arrested the fourth suspect, identified as 23-year-old Harishkumar Balakram, from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly providing financial support and coordinating logistics for the high-profile murder.
The police said Balakram worked as a scrap dealer in Pune and was part of the conspiracy. Two of the three accused – Dharmaraj and Shivprasad Gautam – used to work in Balakram’s scrap shop.
Baba Siddique (66) was waylaid by three persons in Mumbai’s Nirmal Nagar area, just outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique’s office, and shot dead on Saturday night.
He was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital where he was declared dead. He was laid to rest on Sunday.