Baba Siddique murder: Police invoke stringent MCOCA against 26 accused

The Mumbai Police has invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime (MCOC) Act against 26 accused arrested so far in NCP politician Baba Siddique murder case, officials said on Saturday.

It is important to note that confessions made to the police under MCOCA are admissible as evidence in court. It is also difficult to secure bail under the MCOCA.

Provisions of stringent MCOCA are invoked in the Baba Siddique murder case, a Mumbai Police official said without elaborating.

Former Maharashtra minister Siddique, 66, was shot dead on October 12 by three assailants outside his son MLA Zeeshan Siddique's office building in Bandra East, Mumbai.

A total of 26 persons have been arrested so far in the murder case, including the suspected main shooter Shivkumar Gautam, while suspected key conspirators Shubham Lonkar and Zishan Mohammad Akhtar are still on the run.

Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's brother Anmol was arrested in the US for his alleged role in the murder of Siddique and firing outside actor Salman Khan's Mumbai home.

Mumbai Police and Uttar Pradesh STF had earlier this month arrested Shivkumar Gautam from Bahraich district when he was trying to flee to Nepal.

Gautam had told police that Shubham Lonkar works for Lawrence Bishnoi and had facilitated communication through SnapChat between him (Gautam) and Anmol Bishnoi several times.

Gautam claimed he was promised Rs 10 lakh for killing Siddiuque, UP Police had said.