Baba Siddique Murder: Late-Night Calls from Four Friends Lead to Arrest of Main Shooter

Mumbai: Four close friends, whose late-night conversations on social media apps raised suspicions, were critical in helping Mumbai Police locate Shivkumar Gautam, main shooter in Baba Siddique case, in Uttar Presh, officials confirmed on Monday.

On Sunday, Mumbai Crime Branch and Uttar Presh Police STF arrested Shivkumar Gautam along with Anurag Kashyap, Gyan Prakash Tripathi, Akash Srivastava, and Akhilendra Pratap Singh in Nanpara, Uttar Presh, near Nepal border.

investigation began after Gautam's four friends were seen buying clos in different sizes and planning to meet him on bikes in a remote forest about 10 kilometers from Nanpara.

police later discovered that y were intending to help Gautam in fleeing country via Nepal route, according to officials.

four men h been regularly communicating with Gautam through internet calls on mobile phones purchased in Luckw. ir late-night conversations drew attention of authorities, prompting heightened surveillance.

Gautam, who allegedly shot Siddique at close range on October 12 night in Mumbai's Bandra area, initially travelled from crime scene to Kurla. He boarded a local train to Thane.

He dumped his bag and mobile phone during journey, officials ded.

He travelled onward to Pune. After reaching Pune at around 3:30 AM on October 13, he boarded a train to Luckw. During his journey, he me several calls to his handlers using mobile phones of passengers, officials said.

Gautam checked news where he learned of Siddique’s death. Gautam later travelled to his native Bahraich and onward to Nanpara, where he took refuge in a remote vill near Nepal border.

Gautam was hiding in hamlet of 10 to 15 hutments, around 10 km from Nanpara, officials said.

Crime Branch, working with human intelligence and local sources, focused on a group of 10 to 12 individuals closely associated with Gautam.

Among m, four friends stood out as likely collaborators. Surveillance revealed that se men were tech-savvy and h been buying clos for Gautam in preparation for his escape.

Police started monitoring ir activities.

"se four persons used to communicate with each or on internet late at night," a crime branch official ded.

A few days ago, all of m purchased pairs of shirts and trousers of different sizes from a cloth shop in Nanpara, he said.

On Sunday, as four friends travelled to meet Gautam on two motorcycles, police teams, with assistance from Uttar Presh Police, intercepted m on a bridge on outskirts of Nanpara.

group was apprehended, and ir capture led police to Gautam’s hideout. He was subsequently arrested in remote vill, official said.

Former Maharashtra minister Siddique, 66, was shot de on October 12 by three assailants outside his son MLA Zeeshan Siddique's office building in Bandra East, Mumbai.

He sustained two bullet injuries on his chest and was rushed to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai, where he passed away.

A Mumbai court on Monday remanded in police custody till vember 19 Shivkumar Gautam and four ors to help investigators probe financial transactions and procurement of firearms.

(with PTI inputs)