New Details Of 'Money Trail' Emerge In Baba Siddique Murder Case

Funds were transferred to a bank account in Gujarat on the direction of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and missing accused Shubham Lonkar in the Baba Siddique murder case, the Mumbai police crime branch said as new details of a money trail emerged in the case. 

According to the police, the bank account was opened in the name of accused Salman Vohra at the Karnataka Bank in Gujarat's Anand district.

Rs 6 lakh was deposited in Vohra's account from multiple locations across the country using cash deposit machines, officials said. The transfer of funds was done mainly from Maharashtra, Punjab, and Haryana, officials added.

According to the crime branch sources, one of the arrested accused, Sumit Wagh, admitted to transferring the funds at Lonkar's direction. However, he claimed to be unaware of other people who had made the transfers.

While the funds were deposited under Lonkar's directions, the operation was orchestrated by gangster Anmol Bishnoi, who is now in jail in the US, a senior crime branch officer said.

The crime branch is yet to identify all the individuals who deposited the funds, officials said.

Mr Siddique, 66, was shot dead in Mumbai's Bandra on October 12 at 9:11 pm, the police said. He sustained two bullet injuries on his chest and was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital, where he died.

The main accused, Shiv Kumar Gautam, who shot Mr Siddique point blank, was arrested last month during a joint operation by the police officials of Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai from the Nanpara area of Bahraich. At least 25 more accused have been arrested in an ongoing operation spread across the country.

Last week, the Mumbai Police's Crime Branch added MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) in addition to other charges against the accused.

According to the main shooter, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang was brainwashed and told false stories about Baba Siddique to instigate him into killing the political leader.