The high-profile murder of Baba Siddiqui, a former MLA and a leader of Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra, has revealed the involvement of two shooters from Uttar Pradesh. The suspects, identified as Dharmraj Kashyap and Shiva Gautam, hail from Gandara village in the Kaiserganj area of Bahraich district. According to police sources, both had migrated to Mumbai in search of work to support their families.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Vrinda Shukla said that both individuals have no prior criminal record and belong to regular families.
They have maintained contact with their families, and police are currently investigating whether their families have any knowledge related to the incident.
The murder took place on Saturday night outside the office of Baba Siddiqui's son Zeeshan. Reports suggest that the assailants took advantage of the noise from firecrackers being set off during Dussehra celebrations to carry out the attack. Mumbai Police have arrested two suspects in connection with the case, while investigations continue into the possible motives and accomplices.
Following the revelation of a possible UP connection, the Special Task Force (STF) in Uttar Pradesh has been alerted. One of the shooters involved in the attack managed to flee the scene. There are suspicions that the underworld could be linked to the planning and execution of the murder, prompting further investigations by the STF.
ADG (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash mentioned that while Mumbai Police has not yet formally reached out to the STF, they are gathering detailed information about Dharmraj and his accomplice. The authorities suspect that Dharmraj could have ties with an organized gang, which might have assigned him a specific task in Mumbai. The manner in which he used a pistol, firing multiple shots like a professional shooter, has raised suspicions of his connection to a criminal syndicate.
Dharmraj Kashyap and Shiva Gautam come from humble backgrounds in Bahraich. SP Vrinda Shukla revealed that they had gone to Mumbai as laborers and no prior criminal activities have been reported against them.
Shiva Gautam, the youngest of two brothers, is unmarried, and his father, Bal Kishun, sustains the family through farming and labor.
Dharmraj Kashyap, the youngest of six brothers, also remains unmarried. His father and elder brother sell fish, while another brother runs a small cart, and others work as laborers. Most of his elder brothers are married, while Dharmraj and another sibling remain single. The family possesses minimal agricultural land, which made it necessary for them to seek employment elsewhere.
As investigations proceed, authorities are piecing together information to understand the motive behind the attack and the possible involvement of organized crime. Meanwhile, the revelation of the UP connection adds another layer to the unfolding narrative of this high-profile case.
