Mumbai: Absconding accused Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar, (21), and Subham Loankar (26) were the key handlers relaying instructions to the killers of NCP leader and former minister Baba Siddique, according to sources.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that Akhtar was responsible for coordinating with the gunmen, facilitating their escape, arranging their hideaways, and keeping the main accused informed about the operation. On the other hand, Subham Loankar, a key arms supplier for the notorious Bishnoi gang, along with his brother Pravin Loankar, meticulously orchestrated the logistics and financed the execution of Baba Siddique’s murder.
Akhtar, a resident of Shankar village in Nakodar, Jalandhar, had previously been arrested in 2022 for alleged murder and robbery. He is reportedly a well-known associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. More than seven cases have been registered against him in Punjab and Haryana. During his time in Patiala Jail, Akhtar developed close ties with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which hired him to lead the assassination plan of Siddique. According to the sources, Akhtar involved Gurmail Baljit Singh, (23), one of the arrested accused, in the conspiracy.
According to the statement given to the Crime Branch by Gurmail Baljit Singh (23), he was arrested in murder case and in a Patiyala jail with Akhtar from 2019 until June 2024, and was released on bail last year. Gurmail mentioned that his parents had passed away, and his family had disowned him. During that time, Akhtar helped him find a place to stay and promised that they would soon be involved in something big.
After securing bail in June 2024, Akhtar visited the residence of Gurmail Singh in Kaithal, Haryana, and instructed him to move to Mumbai in the first week of September. Shiv Kumar and Dharamraj Kashyap, the other accused in the murder case, were scrap workers employed in Pune, near Pravin Lonkar’s dairy shop. Both hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Shiv Kumar and Dharamraj were hired by Pravin and his brother Shubham Lonkar, who is an arms supplier for the Bishnoi gang.
The Lonkar brothers arranged for a house to rent in the slum area of Lal Bahadur Shastri Nagar, Kurla, where Shiv Kumar and Dharamraj moved.
Following instructions, Gurmail Singh also reached Mumbai and joined the others. As per directions, Akhtar was leading the operation for the Bishnoi gang, and Rs 2 lakh along with arms were arranged by Shubham. The Crime Branch also recovered a bike used to recce Siddique’s residential and official premises.
According to official sources, Gurmail Singh has a criminal history and extensive experience handling a 9mm gun, while the other shooter, Shivkumar Gautam, is believed to have received training, possibly with the assistance of absconding accused Subham Loankar, before arriving in Mumbai to join the assassination team targeting Baba Siddique. Sources have identified Gurmail Singh and Shivkumar Gautam as the shooters, and Dharamraj Kashyap was tasked with protecting them. He spread tear gas spray to prevent anyone from advancing to catch the shooters, ensuring that all the accused, after assassinating Baba Siddique, could easily escape.
A dossier on Akhtar reveals his close association with Saurabh Mahakal and Vikram Brar, both of whom have emerged as key figures in the investigation. Mahakal is currently in the custody of Pune rural police for his alleged involvement in the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala. Additionally, Akhtar has been identified as a core team member of Brar. Sources indicate that Akhtar was in regular contact with Anmol Bishnoi, brother of Lawrence, using FaceTime and the Signal app to communicate.
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The dossier reveals Akhtar’s deep involvement in the Bishnoi gang. It indicates that the gang had strong ties to Harwinder Singh Rinda, a notorious terrorist associated with Babbar Khalsa, who died in Pakistan. The dossier notes that when Harwinder Singh, alias Rinda, was alive, he would instruct Lawrence Bishnoi on target killings. After Rinda’s death, other close associates of Rinda within Babbar Khalsa and various other gangs continued to collaborate with Bishnoi. Bishnoi would then direct Brar to execute these plans, with Brar assigning gang members to carry out the murders and extortion schemes.
According to sources, Akhtar is currently believed to be hiding in Mumbai, with police actively searching for him.