New Twist in Baba Siddique Murder Case: Accused Received Rs 5 Lakh for Assisting in the Plot

Mumbai: The investigation into the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique has unveiled a shocking confession from five suspects arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch on Friday, who revealed that they were each paid Rs 5 lakh to participate in the plan and assist the shooters.

The amount was allegedly provided by the Lawrence gang, with a gang associate transferring the funds directly into the suspects' bank accounts. Crime Branch officials confirmed that their bank statements reflect the deposit of Rs 5 lakh.

According to sources, the three shooters who executed the killing and the five-member gang that supplied them with weapons had no prior connections. They were introduced to each other by the main conspirators, Shubham Lonkar and handler Zeeshan Akhtar, after the murder plan was planned.

Following their introduction, the shooters and the weapons suppliers stayed in regular contact, and the shooters even practiced firing in preparation for the attack.

The Crime Branch further revealed that Nitin Sapre and Ram Kannojia, leaders of the weapons-supplying gang, were in contact with Shubham Lonkar well before the murder.

Shubham had tasked them with arranging weapons for the assassination. He also hired Shiv Kumar Gautam and Dharmaraj Kashyap as shooters, while Zeeshan Akhtar sent the third shooter, Gurmel Singh, to Pune.

Besides the three shooters, Nitin Sapre and Sonu Kannojia conducted two reconnaissance missions at Baba Siddique's home and office, sending photos and videos to Shubham Lonkar.

Sapre and Kannojia have long criminal histories. In 2015, Nitin Sapre, along with Sambhaji Pardhi and Chetan Pardhi, murdered a man named Somnath Pardhi. While in jail, they met Sonu Kannojia, and after being released on bail in 2017, the group resumed their criminal activities.