Mumbai: The city crime branch’s Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) has approached the metropolitan magistrate court seeking permission to investigate two non-cognisable offences registered after NCP’s Zeeshan Ziauddin Siddique and his sister Arshia Siddique allegedly received death threats through social media messages and calls from an international number.
As the offences are non-cognisable, police had sought the court’s permission under Section 174(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, to conduct an investigation. Section 174(2) BNSS states that no police officer shall investigate a non-cognisable case without the order of a magistrate who has the power to try the case or commit it for trial. An officer said the court has reportedly granted permission to police to investigate the matter, subject to following the prescribed procedure.
Sources said police are likely to register an FIR soon. AEC is taking the help of cyber experts to trace the threat sender.
According to the police, 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. During the preliminary inquiries, the threat message senders used a private VPN to send audio messages.
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.
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.
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.
Baba Siddique, a former Maharashtra minister, was shot dead in Bandra on Oct 12, 2024. 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. So far, police have arrested more than 27 alleged members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in connection with the investigation.
The matter was subsequently referred to Anti-Extortion Cell of the Mumbai crime branch for further investigation. As the offences are non-cognisable, police sought the court’s permission under Section 174(2) of the BNSS, 2023, to conduct an investigation.
The court has reportedly permitted the investigation, subject to following the prescribed procedure. Police are now expected to trace the international number, identify the sender and ascertain whether the threats are linked to any extortion attempt or other criminal conspiracy.