Shraddha Walker's murder-accused boyfriend on Bishnoi gang's hit list: Reports
What's the story
The Mumbai Police have uncovered a plan by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to target Aftab Poonawalla while investigating the murder of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique.
The prime accused in Siddique's murder, Shivakumar Gautam, revealed this plan, according to TOI.
During questioning, Gautam revealed that Shubham Lonkar, a member of the Bishnoi gang, had spoken about plans to attack Poonawalla.
However, with heightened security around Poonawalla, the gang opted against executing their plan.
Crime background
Aftab Poonawalla accused in 2022 murder case
Poonawalla is accused of murdering his live-in girlfriend Shraddha Walkar in 2022. Poonawalla allegedly strangled Walkar during a heated argument and later dismembered her body into 35 pieces.
He allegedly kept Shraddha's body pieces in a refrigerator for over 20 days before disposing of them in various locations in Delhi's Mehrauli forest.
The couple had moved from Mumbai to Delhi and were reportedly estranged from Walkar's family at the time of the incident.
Crime scene
Details emerge in Baba Siddique's murder case
Gautam and his accomplices Dharmaraj Kashyap and Gurmail Singh are accused of shooting Baba Siddique outside his son's office in Bandra East on October 12.
After the attack, Gautam attempted to blend into the crowd but fled when questioned by police officers. His accomplices were arrested on the spot.
In his confession, Gautam admitted to discarding his bag and weapon under a parked car post-shooting.
Suspect arrested
Gautam's attempt to evade capture and confession
Gautam was arrested near the Nepal border on November 10 after dodging arrest for almost a month. He had changed his appearance and traveled through several places to avoid being caught.
In his confession, Gautam said, "I changed my shirt, dumped the bag, and checked the crowd's reaction to see if the job was done properly."
The investigation also revealed that Gautam and his associates were given specialized weapons training in Jharkhand.