A Mumbai court on Monday sent Pravin Lonkar - the third suspect nabbed for the killing of ex-Minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Ziauddin Siddique - to police custody till October 21.
Lonkar, 28, was arrested by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch from Pune on Sunday and produced before the Esplanade Court on Monday.
He is the brother of Shubham Lonkar, and both siblings are suspected of being part of the larger conspiracy to eliminate Siddique.
According to the investigators, the Lonkar brothers had reportedly recruited the two hitmen, Gurnail Baljit Singh and an associate, suspected to be a minor, to kill Siddique.
On Sunday, the Esplanade Court remanded Singh to police custody till October 21, while the other minor had been sent for a medical examination to determine his exact age.
The police have formed 15 probe teams and are on the lookout for another suspect Shiv Kumar, plus their handler Mohammed Zishan Akhtar. Both are still on the run.
On the occasion of Dussehra Day celebrations, Siddique was fired upon multiple times near his son's office in Nirmal Nagar by the accused duo Singh and the minor, after which they decamped from the spot, but were caught soon afterwards.
Siddique, 66, who sustained at least three bullet injuries, including one in the chest, was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital where he was pronounced dead on admission, sparking a massive political furore.
The accused, during custodial questioning, claimed that they were hired to kill either Siddique or his Congress MLA son Zeeshan – who had received some threats in the past few days.
A day after murdering Siddique, dreaded criminal Lawrence Bishnoi had claimed responsibility for the fatal hit, unnerving Bollywood circles and pointing to a potential angle of mafia involvement which the police are probing separately.
In the midst of the Lok Sabha elections, on April 14 morning, hitmen from the Bishnoi gang had fired several rounds at Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s first-floor home in Galaxy Apartments, Bandra west, speaking a huge sensation.
In the past couple of years, both the mega-star and his celebrated screenplay writer father Salim Khan have been threatened on several occasions, and security has been beefed up for the family at their home and office.
FM says GST rates to be reduced further, rationalised; Congress demands overhaul
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates will be reduced further as the process of rationalising tax slabs is nearing completion.
'Anti-incumbency is an issue of the past now': J.P. Nadda hails PM Modi's leadership in Tripura rally
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president J.P. Nadda on Sunday said that the political culture in India has changed after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, adding that people earlier used to talk about the anti-incumbency factor against the government.
Budget Session: Second leg to see fireworks over delimitation row, Trump's tariffs; Waqf Bill on govt's agenda
The second leg of the Budget session of Parliament is set to resume on Monday and is expected to be a stormy one with both the Opposition and Government ready to outdo each other on multiple issues.
PM Modi visits Vice President Dhankhar in AIIMS, wishes him speedy recovery
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited the AIIMS Delhi to enquire about the health of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and prayed for his speedy recovery.
India, EU to hold next round of trade talks on March 10
India and the European Union are scheduled to begin the next round of talks for a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) from Monday in Brussels with the aim of concluding the talks by the end of this year, a senior official said.
Nari Shakti is foundation of Viksit Bharat: CM Manik Saha
Tripura Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha today said that women are crucial for making Ek Tripura Srestha Tripura and Nari Shakti of the 21st century is the foundation of Viksit Bharat.
BJP accuses CPI(M) of attempting to disrupt mega public gathering by making lies
Addressing the media on Saturday, Chakraborty claimed that the CPI(M) had a history of suppressing dissent during its rule, alleging that people who refused to participate in their rallies were deprived of employment opportunities under schemes like MNREGA.
STGT aspirants holds protest near CM’s resident, demands recruitment
A large group of unemployed youth who had successfully passed the 2022 Selection Test for Graduate Teachers (STGT) exam took to the streets today, demanding immediate recruitment.