Pune Connection Uncovered in Baba Siddique Murder Case: Retired Police Officer’s Son Was Next Target

Pune, 8th January 2025: The Mumbai Crime Branch’s chargesheet in the murder case of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique has uncovered that the son of a retired police officer was also targeted by the accused. The accused, Rupesh Mohol and Gaurav Apune, arrested from Pune in connection with Siddique’s murder, had allegedly planned to kill the officer’s son with the help of the absconding accused, Shubham Lonkar.

According to the Crime Branch, Mohol and Apune had suspected the officer’s son of aiding the conspiracy to murder their close friend, Jaideep Dnyaneshwar Bhondkar, in Pune’s Uttam Nagar area in September 2024. This revelation led the Mumbai Crime Branch to alert the Uttam Nagar Police in Pune to ensure the officer’s son receives adequate security.

The investigation revealed that Bhondkar was killed by another accused, Amit Sudam Gurjar, during an argument. Gurjar, who knew Bhondkar, allegedly lured him out of his house under the pretext of helping a friend and then fatally attacked him. The murder reportedly stemmed from an altercation while the two were mocking each other.

Following Bhondkar’s death, his friends Mohol and Apune grew suspicious of the retired officer’s son, believing he had not only assisted Gurjar but also played a significant role in plotting the crime.

In their statements to the Crime Branch during the investigation into Siddique’s murder, Mohol and Apune confessed to planning the officer’s son’s murder. The accused admitted that they procured weapons with the assistance of Lonkar and intended to use the same weapons to execute their plan.

The Crime Branch seized two firearms and several bullets from the accused, which were allegedly meant for the murder. The accused also confessed that they and their associates had practiced using the weapons near Pune’s Khadakwasla Dam before attempting to carry out their plans.

“The inputs shared by the accused regarding the conspiracy to target the officer’s son have been conveyed to the Uttam Nagar Police Station in Pune. Necessary steps are being taken to safeguard the individual in question,” a senior Crime Branch official stated.