Dawood Connection, Orders On Snapchat: Details Surface In Baba Siddique Murder

As police continues to search for the third shooter behind the killing of NCP leader Baba Siddique, sources told NDTV that the motive was gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's attempt to cause panic in Mumbai and to convey to fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim that the former is the city's don.

Siddique was fatally shot on Saturday outside his MLA son's office in Mumbai's Bandra. Police have so far arrested three persons - Gurmail Baljit Singh (23), a resident of Haryana, Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19), a native of Uttar Pradesh -- both alleged shooters - and "co-conspirator" Pravin Lonkar from Pune. Suspected "handler" Mohammad Yasin Akhtar is also wanted in the case. Wanted accused Shivakumar Gautam, who is from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, is absconding.

Sources told NDTV that Singh, Kashyap and Gautam were on the spot at the time of the shooting. The shooters had reached Mumbai 28 days before the murder and had conducted a recce at the leader's home and office five times.

The conspiracy to murder Baba Siddique was hatched in June and was planned by Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar. Akhtar planned the murder from outside Mumbai, ensuring the delivery of weapons to be used in the crime to Mumbai from Punjab. It is also suspected that the operation was planned by Lawrence's brother Anmol Bishnoi, who is based in the US.

READ | Shootout At Bandra: Baba Siddique's Murder And Flashbacks From '90s

Lawrence Bishnoi gang member Pravin Lonkar dropped the three shooters to Mumbai, while his brother Shubham Lonkar paid them Rs 50,000 each. Gautam was getting orders from the gang on Signal, Telegram and Snapchat, which he would convey to Singh and Kashyap, sources said. After the murder, Gautam wanted to visit Omkareshwar near Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain, where he had to meet a gang henchman.

Further, Siddique's security detail included two policemen. At the time of the shooting, they were changing duties, but the policeman present with the veteran politician did not fire, according to sources.

Mumbai Police seized two 9 mm foreign-made pistols, three mobile phones and the bike used in recce. The police also expressed shock that the crime was planned for the day of Vijay Dashmi, when there is tight security all over Mumbai. Cops also found that the shooters only planned to killed Baba Siddique and not his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique.

Meanwhile, police scoured places of worship in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain and Khandwa in their hunt for Gautam. The Mumbai Police have set up 15 teams which have fanned out of Maharashtra in search for individuals linked to the high-profile murder. They are verifying a social media post, attributed to a purported member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, owning up to the murder of Siddique.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/q12x6nH
via IFTTT

"Felt Like Cracker Burst On Feet": Man Shot At During Baba Siddique Firing

Raj Kanojia, the man who suffered a bullet injury in the leg on the day Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai, rues the fact that he will be out of action for two months. This, he says, makes it difficult for him to contribute to his sister's wedding in February.

Six rounds were fired on Baba Siddique, two of which hit the former Maharashtra minister on the chest, outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique's office in Bandra between 9:15pm and 9:30pm on Saturday. A stray bullet hit the 22-year-old as he was returning from a fruit juice centre.

"Madad kya sir ab toh pair main goli lag gayi hai. February main shadi hai sister ki. Do mahine kuch kar nahi paayege hum (What help, sir. I have been shot in the leg. My sister's wedding is in February. I won't be able to do much," lamented Mr Kanojia, dressed in a white kurta, from his hospital bed.

"The atmosphere was such. It felt like crackers were being burst. I felt as if a cracker had exploded on my feet. When I checked, I found blood. Soon, chaos ensued. People started running everywhere. People shouted, there's been a firing, there's been a firing. Hobbling on one leg, I somehow reached the nearby temple. Some people took me inside and then I was taken to a hospital," said Mr Kanojia, fighting back tears.

The Mumbai Police suspects Baba Siddique was killed at the behest of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is incarcerated in Gujarat jail.  

Shooters Gurmail Baljit Singh and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap were arrested the night of the crime. A third shooter, Shiv Kumar, managed to escape.

Two of the three alleged shooters in the case - Kumar and Kashyap - are from Gandara village in Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh. From poor families, both had moved to Pune from their village after Holi to earn money. When NDTV reached out to their families, they said they had no information about why and when they went to Mumbai. The third accused, Singh, is from Haryana.

Alleged shooter Shiv Kumar had taken to posting online content in recent months, flaunting his "gangster" status.

"Yaar tera gangster hai jaani (Your friend is a gangster)," Kumar had captioned his photo post on his Instagram on July 24. The photo showed him on a motorcycle as a Haryanvi song played in the background.

The third accused in the case - Pravin Lonkar - was produced in a Mumbai court which remanded him in police custody till October 21. He is accused of enlisting two of the three alleged shooters who opened fire at Baba Siddique, who had crossed over from Congress to Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party in February.

The cops added that they were on the lookout for Pravin's brother, Shubham Lonkar.

According to the police, Shubham Lonkar posted on social media that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has taken responsibility for the murder. His brother Pravin gave shelter to both the arrested accused in Pune.

The Mumbai Police has set up 15 teams which have fanned out of Maharashtra in search for individuals linked to the high-profile murder.

A Mumbai police official said only one constable was accompanying Siddique when he was shot dead by three men who took cover of Dussehra fireworks to open fire.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, meanwhile, has assured that those responsible for Siddique's brutal murder will not escape justice.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/8PwjKhQ
via IFTTT

Baba Siddique Shooters Were Given Flex Banner To Identify Target: Cops

The plot to kill former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique was hatched over 100 km away in Pune months ago during several meetings. The shooters were given Rs 50,000 as an advance, Baba Siddique's photo and a flex banner to "identify the target", the cops revealed. 

Baba Siddique was shot dead on October 12 outside his son's office in Mumbai. Three shooters - Gurmel Baljit Singh, Dharmaraj Kashyap and Shivkumar Gautam from Uttar Pradesh killed - Baba Siddique. The cops have arrested Gurmel and Dharmaraj, the third shooter on the run.

Yesterday, the cops got a breakthrough when Pravin Lonkar - an alleged co-conspirator - was arrested. The initial investigation has revealed new details on how the plan to assassinate Mr Siddique was hatched.

Mumbai crime exposed the alleged role of Pune-based Pravin Lonkar and his brother Shubham Lonkar in the plot. "The motive behind the killing will be ascertained once the wanted accused are arrested," a police official said.

Meanwhile, sources told NDTV that the accused have claimed that they work for gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Bishnoi, who is lodged at Gujarat's Sabarmati jail, was also involved in the shooting incident outside the Mumbai residence of Bollywood actor Salman Khan, who is known to have been a close friend of Baba Siddique.

Police said the Lonkar brothers are key figures in the crime. The duo allegedly financed the shooters, coordinated logistics, and orchestrated meetings leading up to the attack.

Pravin worked at a dairy owned by Shubham, where they recruited Shivkumar Gautam and Dharmaraj Kashyap, who had connections to a nearby scrap shop.

The conspiracy took shape over several meetings, with promises of substantial payment upon successful "execution of the plan". The shooters were given an advance of Rs 50,000 each. They purchased a motorcycle to monitor Mr Siddique's routine, officials said.

Pravin Lonkar is accused of drafting two shooters to target Siddique and identified by police as a "co-conspirator".

The cops are on the hunt to catch the suspected "handler", Mohammad Yasin Akhtar, and shooter Gautam, who allegedly fired at the senior politician.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the third accused in the Baba Siddique murder case will be arrested "soon".

The investigation disclosed that it was Gautam who called Kashyap to work with him in Pune three months ago, the police official said.

Subsequently, Gautam relocated to Vinoba Bhave Nagar locality in Kurla in Mumbai in September last year and started staying on rent. He roped in Singh in the conspiracy, he said.

All three shooters- Singh, Kashyap, and Gautam- were paid Rs 50,000 each upfront. Investigations have revealed that the three accused used to travel from Kurla (where they lived on rent) to Bandra every day, mostly in auto rickshaws, and recce the places Baba Siddiqui and his son used to frequent. These places included areas around their house, office, and the events they attended.

Gautam fired on Mr Siddique while Kashyap and Gurmel Singh stood behind him. Kashyap was carrying pepper spray which he used on Siddique after he was shot.

While Kashyap and Gurmer Singh were arrested from the spot in Bandra, Gautam fled.

In a purported post on Facebook, Shubham Lonkar attributed the attack to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. This post has since been deleted, but screenshots have circulated widely. The Mumbai Police are now coordinating with social media platforms to trace its origins.

The probe found that Shubham Lonkar gave the shooters guns and ammunition. He was incarcerated in a separate arms case registered against him in Akola district in January.

Police have confiscated two pistols, 28 live rounds, and four mobile phones from the suspects, which are being analysed for further insights into the conspiracy, the official said.

The crime branch is trying to identify the persons with whom the Lonkar brothers were in touch.

"We are investigating all possible angles, including the involvement of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang," the official said, adding that the persons involved in the crime were assigned particular tasks.

On the possibility of Mumbai Police questioning Lawrence Bishnoi, currently lodged in the Sabarmati Jail, the official said a proposal had been sent to the Home Department for his custody in a case registered earlier.

- With inputs from PTI

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/N6pSgQF
via IFTTT

Criminal Pours Hot Oil On Chhattisgarh Cop, Slaughters Family Of Another

Chhattisgarh's Surajpur has been engulfed in chaos after a brutal double murder - the victims were the wife and daughter of a Head Constable, Talib Sheikh. The incident, which has sent shock waves through the region and led to violent protests that included arson on the property of the accused. The matter escalated and the town shut down after a strike was called. 

Reports in the local media claim that Kuldeep Sahu, a known criminal of the area, had entered the house of Talib Sheikh in his absence and killed his wife and daughter with a sharp weapon. Their partially clothed bodies were later discovered in a field about five kilometers away. 

The violence started during a Durga idol immersion ceremony on Monday night, when Kuldeep Sahu reportedly poured a pan of hot oil on a constable during a dispute in the city's Chowpatty area, severely burning the officer. 

Head Constable Talib Sheikh attempted to catch Kuldeep at the time, but he escaped, and later targeted the policeman's family. When the police attempted to arrest Kuldeep, he opened fire at them and managed to escape, abandoning his vehicle.

Angry residents, incensed by the murders and the escape of Sahu, hit the streets. They called for a city-wide bandh and torched vehicles parked outside Kuldeep Sahu's house and warehouse. 

The Sub-Divisional Magistrate of the area, who had arrived with the police team to control the situation, faced the wrath of the mob. A video of the incident is being widely circulated. It shows the magistrate fleeing after being attacked by the crowd. The police had to intervene and rescue him. 

Four police teams have been deployed to catch Kuldeep Sahu. The cybercrime division is working to find his whereabouts. 

The brutal killings and subsequent unrest have drawn sharp political reactions. 

Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel expressed his outrage, stating, "What is happening in our Chhattisgarh? It seems that the rule of law no longer exists in this state, which was once called an island of peace".

He added that the incident highlighted a deep loss of public faith in law enforcement and governance.

Deputy Chief Minister Arun Saw lashed out at the Congress, accusing them of contributing to the lawlessness in the state. 

"The Congress party need not worry about the law-and-order situation. The state government is taking strict action, and wherever negligence by officials is found, they are being held accountable," he said.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/0mjU735
via IFTTT

"Never Pulled Out After Auction": Pat Cummins' Big Verdict On New IPL Rules

Australia captain Pat Cummins reaffirmed that playing Test cricket for his country is his No. 1 priority, adding that he is yet to decide his future in the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Cummins led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the final of the IPL 2024 after being bought by the franchise for Rs 20.50 crore, making him the second-most expensive player in the history of the tournament. Ahead of the IPL 2025 season, the mega auction is set to take place later this year with each team can retain a total of six players (a maximum of five capped players including Indian and overseas and a maximum of two uncapped players) from their existing squad either via retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) option.

With the important five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy to be played next month, Cummins is focused on playing for the country. However, the pacer is aware of the new IPL rules for overseas players that make them "ineligible to register in the following year's player auction" if they don't register for that season's player auction while the other rule bans players for two seasons if the player makes himself unavailable before the start of the season after getting picked at the auction.

“I'll work out in the next little bit what this season looks like. There's a bit of a tweak in the rules, but I don't know whether that would have affected me in the past, I've never pulled out after the auction. But it is one more factor to consider with the IPL," Cummins told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“Test cricket is the absolute No.1 priority, world cups are right up there, and then I think you use them as your tent poles and work out what else makes sense around that.

“The calendar is never going to get any less busy, and I'm not going to get any younger, so these things have always been considerations, and moving forward will become even more so. But needless to say, playing cricket for Australia, particularly Test matches, is my number one job and priority," he added.

Cummins expect the upcoming home series against India will be another close-fought encounter after the visitors won the last two series in Australia.

“The couple of home series I've played against India there's always an element of attrition to them. The last series came down to the last session at the Gabba on the last day of the last Test match," he said.

“That's a good thing to keep in mind; it is a long series, and it might be tightly held until the last game, so you've got to manage your resources throughout," the Australia captain added.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/Bx1eywQ
via IFTTT

"Forever Grateful To Her": Mithun Chakraborty On The Zeenat Aman Factor

Legendary actor and recent recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Mithun Chakraborty, recently shared the challenges he faced early in his career. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, he recalled a time when many female actors were hesitant to work with him, except for Zeenat Aman, who supported him during this difficult phase. The veteran star recalled that despite receiving a National Award for his first film, he experienced a significant lull in his career. He noted, "Bohot rukawatein bhi thi (There were many obstacles). I was going ahead in life at a great speed, so obstacles were inevitable."

He revealed that during this tough period, several actresses were advised not to work with him. "I didn't want to bow down to that lull, I had decided that if I had to lose, then at least I'll battle it out, that I'll not just give up," he said.

Mithun Chakraborty further revealed that Zeenat Aman played a crucial role in changing this situation. He explained, "Zeenat Aman helped me a lot. She was working on a film with Brij Sadanah and he had decided 'Mithun hi mera hero hai' (Mithun is my hero). So he went to her and said, 'See, there is this boy, I think he is very good,' so Zeenat ji said, 'he is a very handsome looking boy. He dances well, I will work (with him).'" She broke the cycle by working with me. After her, all the big heroines restarted signing films with me. I am forever grateful to Zeenat ji."

Mithun Chakraborty was born in Calcutta and made his acting debut in the 1976 film Mrigayaa, a performance that earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor. Over the years, Mithun received two more National Film Awards for his roles in Tahader Katha (1992) and Swami Vivekananda (1998). Recently, he appeared in The Kashmir Files, directed by Vivek Agnihotri. His son, Namashi Chakraborty, made his Bollywood debut in the film Bad Boy.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/UOthHB8
via IFTTT

Exclusive: How Air India Express Pilots Handled Mid-Air Scare Over Trichy

A report of hydraulic failure from a Tiruchirappalli-Sharjah Air India Express flight and its subsequent holding pattern for over two hours may have caused panic on the ground, but things were always under control inside the cockpit, senior sources from the airline have told NDTV. 

Flight AXB 613 took off from Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu at 5.40 pm on Friday and landed at the same airport around 8.15 pm. 

Here's what happened in the interim:

The sources said that after the plane, a Boeing 737-800, was airborne, the landing gear was retracted normally. 

When the landing gear, or undercarriage, was stowed successfully, the cockpit master caution, which indicates a system malfunction, sounded. Sensors detected that oil had drained out of the hydraulic system which controls the undercarriage. 

The aircraft flew normally in all other respects, the sources said, adding that the 737-800 has redundancies built into the hydraulic system to deal with such situations. 

The pilots decided to return to the Tiruchirappalli airport and chose not to undertake an 'overweight landing' with full fuel on board. The aircraft maintained a holding pattern at a short distance from the city to ensure that the fuel was burnt off and the landing weight was acceptable for making a normal approach to the Tiruchirappalli airport. 

The undercarriage was manually deployed and locked into position at the first attempt, enabling the aircraft to make a normal landing. 

On the ground, meanwhile, preparations had been made for an emergency landing. Tiruchirappalli Airport Director Gopalakrishnan said that 20 ambulances and 18 fire engines were on standby. 

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu had also asked officials to remain on alert and the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was coordinating. 

'Will Investigate Cause'

An Air India Express spokesperson said the cause of the snag would be investigated and the safety of passengers was their main concern. 

"We are aware of media reports related to an Air India Express flight operating on the Tiruchirappalli-Sharjah route. We would like to clarify that no emergency was declared by the operating crew. After reporting a technical snag, the aircraft circled multiple times in the designated area as an abundant precaution, to reduce fuel and weight considering the runway length, before making a safe precautionary landing," the spokesperson said.

"The cause of the snag will be duly investigated. In the interim, an alternative aircraft is being arranged for the onward journey of our guests. We regret the inconvenience and reiterate our commitment to prioritising safety in every aspect of our operations," the spokesperson added.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/aVuRfbd
via IFTTT