New Delhi: The investigation into the assassination of NCP leader Baba Siddique has revealed new details. Mumbai Police discovered a photograph of Siddique's son, Zeeshan Siddique, on the phone of one of the arrested suspects, exposing a carefully planned plot. The photo had been sent via Snapchat, highlighting the use of the app to coordinate the crime with self-deleting messages. 

During questioning, the arrested suspect, Ram Kanojia, disclosed that he was initially offered the contract to kill Baba Siddique. However, he demanded ₹1 crore, citing the risks involved. The Mumbai Crime Branch, in a statement on Saturday, revealed that Kanojia was approached by fugitive suspect Shubham Lonkar, who sought out local shooters. However, Kanojia, aware of Siddique’s influence in Maharashtra, hesitated to accept the job.  

With Kanojia declining the task, Lonkar turned to shooters from Uttar Pradesh, reasoning that they might be unaware of Siddique’s prominence and agree to a lower fee. Lonkar recruited Dharma Raj Kashyap, Gurnail Singh, and Shivkumar Gautam from Uttar Pradesh to execute the plan.  

Authorities have issued look-out circulars for Lonkar and two other suspects—Shivkumar Gautam and Zeeshan Akhtar—who are believed to be attempting to flee to Nepal.  

Baba Siddique was fatally shot outside his office in Nirmal Nagar, Mumbai, on October 12. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital with two gunshot wounds to the chest but succumbed to his injuries. The investigation is ongoing, with police actively pursuing the fugitive suspects and exploring further links to the conspiracy.