Police arrested the main accused in the Baba Siddique murder case
In a decisive development, the key accused in the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique has been arrested. Shiv Kumar Gautam, alias Shiva, was apprehended by the Mumbai Crime Branch with the help of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) on November 10, 2024, from an interior place in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, where he had been keeping himself in hiding.
Background of the Case
Former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique was shot dead on October 12 outside his son's office in Bandra East, Mumbai. Three assailants attacked him and fired multiple rounds at him. Two shooters were caught at the scene, but Shiva managed to escape amidst the chaos of a Durga Puja procession.
Story of the Arrest
Shiva had been on the run for almost a month and had apparently planned to escape to Nepal. The authorities said that he had made alternative contingency arrangements to escape through the gang associates, but the police managed to intercept him just as he was leaving the country.
During interrogation, Shiva disclosed that he was in constant touch with Lawrence Bishnoi's brother, Anmol Bishnoi, who is lodged in jail. The police believe that Anmol designed this murder as part of his larger agenda to create terror and aid his extortion rackets.
How Shiva Managed to Elude Arrest
Shiva was extremely careful while avoiding surveillance. He lived in a remote village and did not use mobile phones to exchange messages. He used public mobile phones borrowed from strangers at various places he stopped by enroute to ensure the whereabouts of the locations were communicated to his accomplices. This helped him escape police detection.
Connected Arrests
Apart from Shiva, four others have been arrested for aiding and abetting him in evading arrest. Among them are Anurag Kashyap and Gyan Prakash Tripathi, accused of having funded and facilitated Shiva's absconding spree. The suspects held so far in this case stand at 21.
What the Arrest Means
The arrest of Shiv Kumar Gautam has marked a significant step forward in this mission to unravel the conspiracy behind Baba Siddique's murder. The police are still investigating the huge network associated with the Bishnoi gang and moving ahead with the intention of arresting more suspects in this case.
The arrest of Shiv Kumar Gautam not only deals with the problems that the police are facing in curbing organized crime but also brings to the fore the complexities involved in high-profile murder cases linked with gang activities. In fact, the relation of local goons with notorious gangs reveals a dismal pattern that the authorities must address with immediate seriousness.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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