Zeeshan Akhtar, a 22-year-old from Punjab, has been detained by Canadian authorities in connection with the m*rder of senior NCP leader Baba Siddique. Held under an Interpol red notice, Akhtar has reportedly been in custody for over a week.
Baba Siddique, 66, was gunned down on October 12, 2024, outside his son’s office in Bandra East, Mumbai, by three shooters. Initial allegations from Siddique’s family pointed to a builder lobby involved in an SRA project. However, police investigations ruled out that theory and linked the crime to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s Canada-based brother, Anmol Bishnoi, citing Siddique’s alleged ties to Dawood Ibrahim and actor Salman Khan.
So far, 26 people have been arrested from various parts of India, including Pune, Bahraich (UP), Haryana, Dombivli, and Karjat. Among them is prime shooter Shivkumar Gautam alias Shiva. All accused face serious charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
Zeeshan Akhtar is believed to have played a critical role in orchestrating the m*rder. According to investigators, he managed the entire conspiracy, handling finances through over 10 bank accounts, coordinating logistics, procuring weapons, and arranging hideouts for the shooters. He allegedly collaborated with jailed accused Gurmel Singh and left Mumbai a month before the murder to avoid detection.
Akhtar is the second individual connected to the case to be detained in Canada after Anmol Bishnoi. His detention is considered a significant breakthrough in the high-profile investigation into the ki*ling of Baba Siddique.
