'5 Accused Demanded Rs 50 Lakh But Backed Out Because...': Mumbai Police's Big Revelation In Baba Siddique Murder Case

Mumbai: The Mumbai Police, probing the killing of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, claimed that the five newly-arrested accused had demanded Rs 50 lakh for the killing, but backed out later due to disagreement over payment and also considering the NCP leader's clout. Three attackers fired shots at Baba Siddique outside his son Zeeshan's office in Bandra East last week. The 66-year-old was rushed to Lilavati Hospital where he succumbed to injuries. Siddique was cremated with full state honours at Bada Qabrastan. Mumbai Police's Crime Branch on Friday held the five accused for allegedly providing firearms and logistical support to the shooters of Baba Siddique, taking the total number of arrests in the case to nine. The accused had first demanded Rs 50 lakh for the job, but later backed out, the Police said, adding that they provided logistical and other support to those involved in shooting the former MLA dead. The accused have been identified as Nitin Gautam Sapre (32), Sambhaji Kisan Pardhi (44), Pradeep Dattu Thombre (37), Chetan Dilip Pardhi and Ram Fulchand Kanoujia (43). Sapre is from Dombivali, while Pardhi, Thombre and Pardhi (27) are from Ambernath in Thane district. The search is on to nab the three key persons who are on the run. "During their interrogation, the police found that the module led by Sapre had demanded Rs 50 lakh from the mediator to kill NCP leader Baba Siddique. But that did not work out. So, due to the disagreement over contract, they decided to back out," an official told PTI on Saturday. Also, Sapre was aware that since Siddique was a high-profile politician, killing him would create a huge problem for his module. Hence, they decided not to go ahead. "But the accused persons decided to give logistical support to the new shooters and provide other help," the official claimed. The investigators have found that the module led by Sapre was in contact with conspirator Shubham Lonkar and mastermind Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar till the firing. Following the incident, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang had claimed the responsibility for Siddique's killing. Shubham Lonkar had publicly claimed responsibility for the attack on Siddique in a social media post. Mumbai police had arrested Gurmail Baljit Singh (23), a resident of Haryana and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19), from Uttar Pradesh, whereas there one aide, who was at the spot during the firing, fled from the spot.