After an intense month-long manhunt, police arrested Shiv Kumar Gautam, the prime suspect in the murder of Maharashtra politician Baba Siddique, from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh. Shiv Kumar Gautam, who had been on the run since the October 12 shooting, was reportedly trying to flee to Nepal when he was apprehended in a joint operation conducted by police forces from Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai.
The tragic incident took place outside the office of Baba Siddique’s son, Zeeshan Baba Siddique, a Mumbai MLA. Baba Siddique, 66, was shot dead by Shiv Kumar Gautam and two accomplices—Gurnail Singh from Haryana and Dharmraj Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh. While Singh and Kashyap were quickly arrested following the attack, Shiv Kumar Gautam managed to evade capture and went into hiding. His escape initiated a complex police operation spanning multiple states and involving surveillance of several people close to him.
Police sources reveal that Shiv Kumar Gautam and his associates had been in Mumbai for days, reportedly conducting surveillance on Baba Baba Siddique before they executed the murder. Shiv Kumar Gautam later admitted that the attack was orchestrated on orders from Anmol Bishnoi, the brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, and revealed that he had been affiliated with the Bishnoi gang. The Bishnoi brothers have previously been linked to high-profile crimes, including the 2022 murder of Punjabi singer-politician Sidhu Moosewala and a shooting outside actor Salman Khan’s residence in Mumbai in April.
After the murder, Shiv Kumar Gautam allegedly traveled to Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh to meet other associates within the Bishnoi gang. Although Mumbai police tracked him to Omkareshwar, they were initially unsuccessful in capturing him. Subsequently, investigators monitored over 45 individuals connected to Shiv Kumar Gautam, including his family members and known associates. They zeroed in on four people who maintained consistent contact with Shiv Kumar Gautam and were allegedly instrumental in assisting him to remain hidden.
The four accomplices—Anurag Kashyap, Gyan Prakash Tripathi, Akash Srivastava, and Akhileshendra Pratap Singh—were arrested alongside Shiv Kumar Gautam. Police sources reveal that a neighboring house had been converted into a safehouse for Shiv Kumar Gautam, where he was eventually captured on Sunday with his aides. In total, police have detained 20 individuals in connection with the case.
Motives for the murder appear to be tied to Baba Siddique’s friendship with Salman Khan. The Bishnoi gang has reportedly held a grudge against Khan for his involvement in the blackbuck poaching case two decades ago, as the animal holds religious significance to the Bishnoi community. Investigators believe Baba Siddique’s son, Zeeshan Siddique, is also a potential target, as his photo was found on a cell phone seized from one of the accused.
