The Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) of Mumbai’s crime branch has sought approval from a metropolitan magistrate court to investigate two non-cognisable offences. This follows reports that Zeeshan Ziauddin Siddique, a member of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and his sister, Arshia Siddique, received death threats via social media and phone calls from an international number.
The two complaints (NCs) were registered at Bandra Police Station under Sections 351 and 351(3) of the BNS, 2023, against an unknown person using an international number, according to the police. Baba Siddique, a former Maharashtra minister, was shot dead in Bandra on Oct 12, 2024. So far, police have arrested more than 27 alleged members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in connection with the investigation.
Sources said police are likely to register an FIR soon. AEC is taking the help of cyber experts to trace the threat sender. During the preliminary inquiries, the threat message senders used a private VPN to send audio messages. The messages allegedly warned that Zeeshan would be killed and that his family must increase his security. The threat also referred to the killing of his father, former MLA Baba Siddique. Police have alleged that the murder was carried out by members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Zeeshan Akhtar, named as one of the accused in the case, remains absconding.
The first threat was reported on Aug 7, when Arshia Siddique was at Bombay High Court. Between 1 pm and 4 pm, she received calls and messages from friends and family informing her about threatening messages posted on social media targeting her brother, Zeeshan. A similar threat was received on Aug 14, when Zeeshan was at the high court.
His friends and family informed him about threatening messages allegedly circulating on social media. The audio death threat on WhatsApp came from an unknown person claiming to be Zeeshan Akhtar, an alleged member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and a key accused in the murder of former minister Baba Siddique. The sender, who claimed to be associated with gangster Rohit Godara, threatened to kill Zeeshan in the same manner as his father.
Court Grants Police Permission to Investigate Non-Cognisable Offences
The court has granted police permission to investigate a series of non-cognisable offences, following a request made under Section 174(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. This section stipulates that police officers cannot investigate non-cognisable cases without a magistrate’s order. The police indicated they will adhere to the required procedures during the investigation.