Mumbai: Mumbai Police have cited three key motives behind the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique: Anger against actor Salman Khan, Siddique’s proximity with Khan, and a desire on the part of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to establish terror and supremacy in the city.

About The Case

Siddique, 66, was killed on October 12 near his son Zeeshan’s office in Bandra (East). So far, the police have arrested 26 suspects in connection with the murder. Last month the police submitted a charge sheet against the 26 accused. Two motorcycle-borne men fired five rounds outside Khan’s Galaxy Apartments in the early hours of April 14, 2024. As per the charge sheet, Anmol Bishnoi, brother of Lawrence, was the key conspirator, who was in constant touch with the shooters.

Soon after the attack on Khan, the gang began to look for its second target. Sujit Singh alias Babbu, in his confession statement, has claimed that wanted accused Shubham Lonkar and Anmol Bishnoi contacted him in June 2024, asking him to arrange men who could recce the home of Siddique. Babbu claimed that he initially ignored their demands but later took them seriously. Babbu introduced Anmol Bishnoi to Dombivali resident Nitin Sapre, who was entrusted with the task of doing recce and making further arrangements.

Claim Made By Nitin Sapre In His Confession Statement

Sapre, in his confession statement, claimed that he was looking for work, and that Babbu introduced him to Anmol Bishnoi. Sapre claimed that when he contacted Anmol Bishnoi, the latter asked him if he had any police cases. Sapre replied that he was in prison for murder. After hearing this, Anmol Bishnoi said: “Prepare a team of boys as we have lot of work in Mumbai.”

The police has said that Anmol Bishnoi recruited several young people with whom he kept in regular touch through various social media accounts. The gang was trying to gain supremacy in the city, the police has claimed, even during the investigation into the firing outside Khan’s residence.

New Delhi, Jan 29: India’s space agency, ISRO, marked a significant milestone on Wednesday morning with the successful launch of its 100th GSLV rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

The GSLV-F15 rocket lifted off at 6:23 a.m., carrying the NVS-02 navigation satellite into space, adding another triumph to the nation’s space exploration achievements.

ISRO took to social media to announce the historic event, posting:

“LIFTOFF! The GSLV-F15 has successfully taken flight, carrying NVS-02 into its planned orbit. Stay tuned for more mission updates!”

The GSLV-F15 flight was particularly noteworthy as it is the 17th mission of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and the 11th successful mission utilising an indigenous cryogenic stage.

It also marks the 8th operational flight of GSLV featuring the indigenous Cryogenic stage, and the milestone 100th launch from India’s renowned spaceport in Sriharikota.

GSLV-F15 payload fairing is a metallic version with a diameter of 3.4 meters and it will place NVS-02 satellite in a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.

The NVS-02 is part of the second-generation satellites for the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system — India’s own navigation system.

The navigation satellite system is designed to provide accurate Position, Velocity, and Timing (PVT) service to users in India as well as to regions extending about 1500 km beyond Indian land mass.

The new NVS-02 satellite comes with new features such as supporting the L1 frequency band, which will improve its services and reliability.

“The NVS-02 satellite is the second generation of NavIC satellites, featuring a standard I-2K bus platform. It will have a lift-off mass of 2,250 kg, power handling capability of around 3 kW, navigation payload in L1, L5, and S bands, ranging payload in C-band and will be positioned at 111.75 degrees E, replacing IRNSS-1E,” ISRO said.

NavIC will provide two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Service (SPS) and Restricted Service (RS). NavIC’s SPS provides a position accuracy of better than 20 metres and a timing accuracy of better than 40 nanoseconds over the service area.

This launch marks a significant leap in the country’s technological and scientific advancements in space exploration.

New Delhi, Jan 29: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) scrutinising the contentious Waqf Amendment Bill will meet on Wednesday to adopt final amendments to the clauses that were discussed on Monday. The final draft report of the JPC is expected to be released today.

The JPC had on Monday approved the Waqf Amendment Bill with 14 amendments proposed by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) members.

Opposition MPs had submitted 44 changes which were rejected, which led to a furore by political parties.

Voting on the proposed changes will be held today.

On Monday, the Waqf Amendment Bill that is seeking to bring reforms in the way Waqf Boards are administered across the country got cleared by the JPC with a margin of 16:10 members (16 from NDA and 10 from Opposition parties).

According to reports, a total of 66 amendments were proposed in the Waqf Bill including 23 by the ruling BJP MPs and 44 from Opposition members.

JPC chairman and BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, speaking to reporters said on Monday that it was the final meeting of the Parliamentary panel and a total of 14 amendments had been cleared on the basis of a majority.

“In the past six months of deliberations, we discussed many amendments. All amendments were put to vote today and members gave out their verdict with 16 voting in its favour while 14 opposed the amendments,” he told newsmen.

The JPC meets have witnessed chaotic scenes with the Opposition accusing the committee chairman of bias and inclination towards the ruling party.

The Opposition also claimed that the procedure was being hastened to start a narrative ahead of Assembly elections in the national Capital.

As many as 11 Opposition MPs in the JPC on Monday hit out at the ‘autocratic’ behaviour of Chairman Jagdambika Pal and his haste in accepting the 14 amendments proposed by the NDA members.

In a joint statement, the Opposition MPs said, “As the committee has arrived at its closure part of the deliberation, we the members of the Opposition registered our protest then and there both in conducting the proceedings of the JPC by the chairman as well the gross and serious deviations from the rules and procedures contemplated thereon.”

Citing several instances of being denied the time to study documents, the MPs said they want to highlight a few wilful and wanton “disregard by the Chairman in sharing the details of deliberations of the Committee.”

The allegations were however brushed aside by the BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, who said that every member was given “ample time and was heard out by the JPC chief.”

The JPC committee on the Waqf Bill had to submit its recommendations by November 29, however, the deadline was extended till February 13.