Officials of the Mumbai Police Crime Branch are investigating the role of Akash Chauhan, a key member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, in the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddiqui.
Police suspect that Chauhan himself brainwashed Zeeshan Akhtar, one of the main conspirators of the incident, to carry out the hit.
Siddiqui was shot dead by three people in Bandra on October 12.
The crime branch is likely to take custody of Chauhan, who is currently in Patiala jail where he is accused of persuading Akhtar to carry out the execution, officials said.
An official said that Chauhan has been part of the Bishnoi gang for many years and has helped them in the past to pull off hits.
“When the Bishnoi gang decided to take on Baba Siddiqui and they needed someone to do the hit work, Chauhan who was lodged in Patiala Jail was about to be released from jail,” said an official.
When Chauhan learned that Akhtar would release on June 7, he persuaded him to do the hit and offered him money. While he was out, Akhtar contacted Gurmail Singh, another accused in the Siddiqui case, and later arranged accommodation for the three shooters in Mumbai, police said.
With 26 people arrested in the case, the Mumbai Crime Branch is on the lookout for Akhtar and another accused Shubham Lonkar, who they suspect may be hiding together.
The Crime Branch recently invoked the stringent MCOCA Act in the case and named Anmol Bishnoi as the main conspirator in the case.
Bishnoi is currently in a US jail and Indian authorities have asked for his extradition.