Police on Wednesday held a 23-year-old man from Pune in connection with the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 16.
A team of Mumbai Crime Branch took Gaurav Vilas Apune, a resident of Karvenagar locality of Pune city, into custody after his alleged role in the conspiracy was revealed by some of the other accused arrested earlier.
Police said Apune had been trained in the use of firearms by some of absconding accused and that he had been promised a substantial amount of money for his role in the conspiracy.
A local court has sent him in police remand till November 9.
Siddique, a former minister, was shot dead by three armed men near his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique's office in Bandra on October 12. Police believe that jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's brother Anmol Bishnoi is behind the murder.
Soon after Siddique’s death, a Facebook post allegedly shared by a Bishnoi gang member, had claimed responsibility of the incident.