Mumbai Police’s crime branch has revealed that an accused in the Baba Siddiqui murder case evaded arrest by communicating using a worker’s mobile hotspot, news agency ANI reported.

In a joint operation between the Maharashtra and Punjab police, Akashdeep Gill, who was identified as a key logistical coordinator in the murder plot of the Bishnoi gang, was arrested from Fazilka, Punjab on November 16.

Akashdeep Gill was identified as an associate of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and was handed over to the Mumbai Police after his arrest. He was sent to police custody till November 21 along with another accused Sandeep Vohra, who allegedly financed the murder.

While being questioned by the Mumbai Crime Branch, Akashdeep Gill revealed that he would use the hotspot of a worker named Balwinder so that he could appear offline and avoid being traced.

Shaikah Faizan, representing Akashdeep, told ANI that a person named Pappu Singh was involved in allegedly forwarding messages between Gill and Vohra.

The crime branch is currently looking for his phone as it may contain important evidence in the Baba Siddiqui murder case and his connection with gangster Anmol Bishnoi.

NCP leader Baba Siddique was shot dead by three assailants near his son MLA Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Mumbai’s Nirmal Nagar on 12 October. Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s crew has claimed responsibility for the murder.

The Mumbai crime branch also revealed that apart from Siddiqui, an unnamed bigwig from Pune was also on the Bishnoi gang’s radar.

According to a senior official, the case came to light after the Mumbai crime branch recovered a gun to be used to carry out the second crime.