The Shocking Twist in the Baba Siddique Murder Case: Key Suspect Shiv Kumar Gautam Arrested, Reveals Canadian Link to Bishnoi Gang

Shiv Kumar Gautam, the murder investigation's main accused in the case of the Maharashtra politician Baba Siddique, was arrested along with four of his accomplices, who were trying to flee to Nepal from Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh. His arrest on Sunday marks a crucial moment in the case that had raised alarMs since Siddique's death outside his son Zeeshan Siddique's office in Mumbai on October 12.

Gautam confessed before the interrogators that he was directly initiated by Anmol Bishnoi, a brother of notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is in jail at present. Sources claim that Anmol is staying in Canada, where, he incited Gautam to kill either the elder Siddique or his son, telling him to "shoot whoever you see first". Before the murder, Anmol, sources claim, incited the assailant with a speech saying that killing would be done for "God and society."

According to Mumbai police sources, Gautam had planned his escape in advance after the shooting. He managed the initial confusion and changed clothes and blended into the crowd so as not to be recognized. Gautam crossed different places: from Mumbai to Thane, then to Pune, where he discarded his mobile, and from there to Uttar Pradesh. For some days, he stayed in Jhansi and Lucknow before finally reaching Bahraich, his natal district, where his associates had made a hide-out for him.

The police monitored over 45 people, his family members and close contacts, tracing Gautam's movements and relationships. This thorough observation helped them pick up four persons who were frequently in contact with Gautam. The police had planned carefully, and the four along with Gautam were eventually nabbed.

Apart from Gautam, Anurag Kashyap, Gyan Prakash Tripathi, Akash Srivastava, and Akhileshendra Pratap Singh have been arrested for being involved in the abductee's escape and providing him with shelter. In all, 20 have been arrested as part of this operation.

According to police sources, the murder of Baba Siddique could be because he was an old friend of Bollywood actor Salman Khan. It has been reportedly gathered by Bishnoi's community that they have a resentment for Khan for his presence in the blackbuck poaching case 20 years back.

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