A Mumbai court has placed Pravin Lonkar, the third individual arrested in connection with the murder of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, in police custody until October 21, reported PTI.
Lonkar was reportedly detained in Pune on Sunday by Mumbai Police and is accused of enlisting two shooters involved in Siddique's fatal shooting, which took place on Saturday night in Bandra.
During court proceedings, the police sought custody for further interrogation to uncover the conspiracy behind this high-profile case.
Public prosecutor SN Vaidya alleged that Lonkar's brother, Shubham, has ties to the incarcerated gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and is suspected of orchestrating the attack by supplying firearms to the shooters.
Authorities have reportedly indicated that Lonkar would need to travel to Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar for a deeper investigation.
Lonkar's defense counsel reportedly contested these claims, arguing that his client is being unfairly portrayed as a "scapegoat" while the search for Shubham continues. It was emphasised that although the case is indeed serious, there is insufficient evidence to support conspiracy allegations against Lonkar, who operates a dairy business.
Two shooters - Gurmail Baljit Singh and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap - are already in custody, while another suspect, Shivkumar Gautam, remains at large. Law enforcement has recovered two pistols and 28 live rounds from the apprehended individuals.
A Mumbai court on Sunday had remanded Singh to custody till October 21. Kashyap, however, had claimed that he is a minor. However, an ossification test had proved that he is a major, subsequent to which he was sent to police custody.
Baba Siddique was attacked by three assailants outside his son MLA Zeeshan Siddique's office on Saturday during Dussehra celebrations and was later declared dead at Lilavati Hospital.
Siddique, a notable figure in Mumbai's political landscape, was laid to rest with State honours on Sunday night, drawing a significant turnout comprising both citizens and political leaders.
After decades with the Congress party, Baba Siddique, who served as the MLA for Mumbai's Bandra West constituency in 1999, 2004 and 2009, transitioned to Ajit Pawar's NCP earlier this year. He gained recognition for his efforts in providing life-saving medications during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He maintained close relationships with several major Bollywood stars, including Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Sanjay Dutt.