Mumbai Police' Crime Branch has started investigation into the murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique from a new angle - Slum Rehabilitation Authority projects.
A few days after he was shot down in October outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique's Bandra office, the police had sought information from the Slum Rehabilitation Authority regarding its ongoing projects in Bandra. Zeeshan Siddique had indicated that a dispute over one such project could be a reason behind his father's murder, as per police sources. He had earlier posted on X that his father was killed protecting the underprivileged and their homes.
After receiving information regarding such projects in Bandra, the police has started probing the angle in a murder that was till now being considered the handiwork of the gang led by jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
A 23-year-old man, who was allegedly part of the conspiracy to kill the NCP leader, was on Wednesday arrested from Pune, police said, making him the 16th accused to be held in connection with the case. During interrogation, it came to light that he was assured of Rs 25 lakh, a flat, and a vehicle for killing the NCP leader.
Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's younger brother Anmol, believed to be living in Canada and making regular travels to the US, was allegedly behind the murder, but a motive was still not clear, police have said.
