Baba Siddique murder: One gets police custody till Oct 21, another sent for medical test; 2 absconding

A Mumbai court on Sunday remanded one of the two prime accused in the killing of Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Ziauddin Siddique to police custody till October 21 and the other for a medical test to determine his actual age status.

While Gurnail Baljit Singh, 23, of Haryana, has been given police custody for a week, the other accused – reportedly a minor from Uttar Pradesh, has been sent for an ossification test to determine his true age, said a lawyer.

Both have been charged with shooting Siddique, a former Maharashtra Minister, near his son and Congress MLA Zeeshan Siddique's office in Nirmal Nagar, Bandra, on Saturday evening, sending shockwaves in political circles. They were presented before the Esplanade Court Magistrate S.C. Tayde on Sunday afternoon.

A Mumbai Police officer said that they are questioning the two arrested accused, while 15 police teams are on the lookout for the third accused -- Shiva Kumar. The police are collaborating with the departments (police) in other states.

The police have recovered 28 live bullets from the accused plus two mobile phones, and further investigations are underway into the conspiracy behind Siddique's suspected contract killing by the trio who came here from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on September 2.

He said that the Mumbai Police managed to nab two of the three assailants shortly after they shot Siddique, while the third one, identified as Shiva Kumar, managed to escape.

Earlier, the accused duo were brought to the court in 'burqas' and when the Magistrate asked their name and age, one of them claimed he was a minor.

However, public prosecutor Gautam Gaikwad opposed saying that after they were detained last night, the police recovered an Aadhaar card showing his date of birth as March 1, 2003, or 21, and submitted that a bone ossification test should be carried out to ascertain his true age.

Defence lawyer Siddhar Agarwal said that he would not oppose the plea and though the accused did not have any proof of birth, he was prepared for the test.

Seeking 14 days' police custody for the accused, Gaikwad said that at least 10 teams have been formed to probe the case, there are international links to the killing which was pre-planned after conducting a recce and other preparations prior to the hit.

The public prosecutor added that Siddique was a senior political leader, the accused are from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, they stayed in Pune and in a rented premise in Kurla suburb of Mumbai, and the killing took place at a sensitive time before the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

The investigators want to probe who provided them with the logistical support, who gave the 'contract' for the fatal strike, the money, weapons, training to fire and the getaway vehicles used in the sensational crime, and two other accused including Shiv Kumar and another handler Mohammed Zishan Akhtar, are still absconding, and the recovery of 28 live cartridges recovered from the accused pointing at other potential targets.

Earlier on Sunday, the dreaded Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for eliminating Siddique, raising questions of a possible mafia angle to the killing.

Hitmen from the same gang had opened fire at Bollywood actor Salman Khan's home at Galaxy Apartments in Bandra and threatened his father Salim Khan on multiple occasions during the past one year.

Meanwhile, Siddique's funeral was completed with full State Honours on Sunday evening at the Bada Qabrastan in Bandra with a large number of teary-eyed politicians, Bollywood personalities and thousands of followers attending the final journey.