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A 20-year-old man has been taken into custody from Noida for allegedly making threatening phone calls to Bollywood actor Salman Khan and Zeeshan Siddique, the son of the late politician Baba Siddique. According to ANI, the arrest was confirmed by Mumbai Police on Tuesday, following a complaint received from Siddique's public relations office in Bandra East.
The threatening call reportedly occurred on Friday evening, with the caller issuing death threats towards both Siddique and Khan while simultaneously demanding money. The Mumbai Police swiftly registered a case against unidentified individuals at the Nirmalnagar Police Station based on the complaint made by an employee at Siddique's office.
Zeeshan Siddique has been named as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate for the Bandra East constituency, a seat he previously won in 2019 by defeating Vishwanath Mahadeshwar of Shiv Sena. This time, he is up against Varun Sardesai from Shiv Sena (UBT).
The context of these threats is particularly distressing, as Zeeshan Siddique's father, Baba Siddique - a former Maharashtra minister and prominent NCP leader - was shot dead on October 12 by three assailants near his son's office in Nirmal Nagar, Mumbai. The gang responsible for this heinous act has been linked to jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who has claimed responsibility for the murder. To date, Mumbai Police have made 15 arrests related to this case.
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On October 26, nine individuals connected to Baba Siddique's murder were presented before the Esplanade Court in Mumbai after their police custody concluded. The court has since extended the custody of five accused - Nitin Sapre, Ram Kanojiya, Sambhaji Pardhi, Chetan Pardhi, and Pradeep Thombre - until November 4. Another suspect, Harish Nishad, was remanded to the custody of the Mumbai Crime Branch until October 28, while the accused shooters - Gurmail Singh, Dharmaraj Kashyap, and Pravin Lonkar - have been sent to judicial custody.
In a separate development, Sujit Singh, who was arrested on Friday, has also been placed in the custody of the Mumbai Crime Branch. Singh was apprehended by the Mumbai Police in Punjab's Ludhiana after receiving specific intelligence. He had travelled to Ludhiana to visit family before his arrest. As per ANI reports, the situation remains under close investigation as police work to uncover the full extent of the threats and their connections to the ongoing violence in the area.
(With inputs from ANI)
