Main Shooter in Baba Siddiqui murder case seeks to retract confession

MUMBAI: Shivkumar Gautam, the main accused in the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddiqui, has moved an application before the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court seeking to retract his confessional statement made to the police. Gautam, who was arrested in connection with the killing, was allegedly one of three men involved in the attack near Zeeshan Siddiqui’s office in Bandra on October 12.

According to his statement to the police, Gautam and his associate Gurmail Singh shot Siddiqui before fleeing the scene. He had also claimed that Shubham Lonkar promised him a sum between ₹10 to ₹15 lakh to assassinate either Baba Siddiqui or his son Zeeshan Siddiqui. Furthermore, Gautam alleged that Anmol Bishnoi had incited them to commit the crime by asserting that Siddiqui had links with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

However, Gautam’s legal representatives—Advocates Ajinkya Mirgal, Omkar Inamdar, and Anshuman Asare—argued in court that his statement was extracted under duress and through intimidation.

Following the attack, Siddiqui was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he was declared dead. Over two weeks ago, the Mumbai Crime Branch filed a chargesheet before the special MCOCA court in connection with the case. Gautam was among the first individuals arrested, along with Dharamraj Kashyap and Gurmail Singh. Anmol Bishnoi, the brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, is alleged to have masterminded the assassination.

The case continues to unfold as the court reviews Gautam’s plea and the evidence presented by investigators.