Lawrence Bishnoi gang wanted Baba Siddique or son killed, shooter tells Mumbai police
Shiv Kumar Gautam, the arrested shooter, revealed Bishnoi gang's plot to kill Baba Siddique and also his escape plans from Mumbai.
Shiv Kumar Gautam, the main shooter in the Baba Siddique murder case, told Mumbai police that Lawrence Bishnoi's gang wanted either the NCP leader or his son Zeeshan killed, reported News18.
Gautam also told the police that Bishnoi's gang assigned him the task of killing either of them, whoever he comes across first. He also confessed that, along with two other accused, they carried out extensive surveillance of the NCP leader's activities and movements in Mumbai before killing him.
On October 12, Siddique was shot dead by the gang, who took advantage of the distraction created by the festive atmosphere in the city. After firing at Siddique, Gautam also changed his appearance and mingled with the public. He also observed the chaos unfolding on the spot for a considerable period to avoid any suspicion, the report added.
Also read: A phone call between 4 friends led to arrest of Baba Siddique's shooter. Here's how
Escape Plan
After committing the murder, Gautam took an auto to the Kurla station and reached Thane by a local train. He then boarded a train to Pune city and disposed of his mobile phone en route to avoid being traced.
Gautam stayed in Pune for seven days and then travelled by train to Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh. He stayed in Jhansi for five days and reached Lucknow, where he purchased a new mobile phone to contact his associates.
Also read: Baba Siddique murder: Five persons, including main shooter, arrested from UP
The accused stayed in Lucknow for 11 days while planning his stay in Bahraich. Meanwhile, his associates arranged for a safe house in a nearby village. Gautam planned to visit the Vaishno Devi temple before fleeing to Nepal, but his plans were foiled as the UP STF arrested him from Baharaich.
Gautam's arrest brings the total number of arrests in the case to 23. Along with Gautam, police also arrested four individuals who allegedly assisted him in finding shelter and planning his escape to Nepal. They are identified as Anurag Kashyap, Gyan Prakash Tripathi, Akash Srivastava, and Akhilesh Pratap Singh.