A 23-year-old man who was arrested for allegedly being part of the conspiracy to kill Baba Siddique has told the police that they also had "Plan B" as a backup to murder the NCP politician, sources told NDTV today. Mr Siddique, 66, was shot dead by three gunmen in Mumbai's Bandra area on October 12.
Gaurav Vilas Apune, a resident of Karvenagar in Pune, was arrested on Wednesday, the 16th accused to be caught in connection with the high-profile Baba Siddique murder case.
He was in direct contact with wanted accused Shubham Lonkar and arrested accused Ram Kanoujia.
During interrogation, he told the police that in the backup plan, he was chosen as the shooter, sources said.
He along with Rupesh Mohol, an accused already arrested, went to Jharkhand and practised firing several rounds.
Both these accused were sent to Jharkhand by the mastermind, Shubham Lonkar, who also provided weapons to them.
According to Mumbai Police sources, Apune and Mohol went to Jharkhand on July 28 and practised firing for a day. They returned to Pune the next day and remained in touch with Lonkar.
Before going to Jharkhand, Apune told his family that he was going to Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain with friends.
The investigation has revealed that at least six shooters were hired to carry out the shooting if "Plan A" failed.
The arrested accused have said that Lonkar had assured them of Rs 25 lakh, a trip to Dubai, a flat, and a vehicle for killing the NCP leader.
Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's younger brother Anmol Bishnoi, who is believed to be living in Canada, was allegedly behind the murder.
Last month, Anmol was added to the most-wanted list of the National Investigation Agency and a Rs 10 lakh reward was announced for his arrest.
His name has also cropped up in several other cases, including the murder of Punjabi singer-politician Sidhu Moosewala in 2022, and the firing outside actor Salman Khan's residence in Mumbai in April.
Featured Video Of The Day
Who Will Win Maharashtra Crown? Axis My India's Exit Poll Prediction
Chilling History Of Squirrel Cage Jail, Where Anmol Bishnoi Is Lodged US Arrests Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's Brother Anmol, But Not For Murder No Baba Siddique, Son Zeeshan Shares First Voting Experience Without Him Amazon Employee Greets Friend At Wedding, Dies Of Cardiac Arrest Russia's Firing Of ICBM On Ukraine Is Weapon's 1st Combat Use In History This Asian City Is Emerging As Sex Tourism Hub. It's Not Where You Think Elon Musk Slams Australia's Plan To Ban Social Media For Kids Under 16 Assam Chief Minister Unveils These Facilities At Legislative Complex North Korea's Kim Accuses US Of Escalating Tensions, Warns Of Nuclear War Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.