Baba Siddique, a former Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, was shot dead on Saturday night in Mumbai.
He was attacked by three assailants near his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office at Kher Nagar around 9:30 PM. Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers shot him multiple times before fleeing the scene. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The Mumbai Police recovered six empty bullet shells from the scene, indicating that at least four bullets struck Siddique. The police on Sunday transferred his body to Cooper Hospital for a postmortem.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced that the funeral of the NCP leader will be held with state honours. Shinde added that Siddique will get a state funeral as he has served as a minister in the Maharashtra Cabinet from 2004 to 2008.
Two suspects arrested, one still absconding
The police have arrested two suspects, identified as Karnail Singh from Haryana and Dharamraj Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh. The third assailant, identified as Shiva, remains at large.
Police have confirmed that a 9.9mm pistol was used in the shooting, and investigations are underway to determine the motive behind the attack.
According to a report by NDTV, the arrested individuals during interrogation revealed that they had been surveilling the shooting location in Bandra East for nearly a month, suggesting a premeditated attack.
Siddique, 66, had reportedly received a threat to his life just two weeks before his death, prompting an upgrade in his security to the Y category.
Police suspect Lawrence Bishnoi's connection
The police are probing two primary angles: potential involvement of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and links to a local slum rehabilitation case.
The Bishnoi gang’s connection suspicion follows a previous threat by a close associate of Bishnoi, Rohit Godara, who had claimed that anyone close to Salman Khan would be considered an enemy. Baba Siddique had good relations with Salman Khan and played an important role in mediating a long-standing feud between Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan during an iftar party he hosted in 2013.
Lawrence Bishnoi who is currently imprisoned in Gujarat has been implicated in multiple criminal activities, including extortion and murder. His gang is believed to have over 700 shooters operating across the country and has made headlines for high-profile murders, including that of rapper Sidhu Moosewala.
The Mumbai Police are working in collaboration with central agencies and are coordinating with the state police of Gujarat and Delhi.
According to a PTI report, the police have come across a viral post on social media that indicates the Bishnoi gang's link to the murder. In the post, an alleged member of the gang has taken responsibility for the murder of the NCP leader. "We have seen the viral social media post, we are verifying its authenticity," a police official said.
Reactions to Baba Siddique’s death
The assassination of Baba Siddique has drawn widespread reactions from across Maharashtra. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited Lilavati Hospital to meet Siddique's family and vowed that strict action would be taken against those responsible for the murder. Shinde described the incident as "extremely unfortunate."
Opposition leaders, including NCP president Sharad Pawar and Congress legislator Balasaheb Thorat, questioned and expressed concerns about the state of law and order in Maharashtra, particularly given that Siddique had Y-category security.
Bollywood stars including Salman Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Zaheer Iqbalalso visited Siddique's family at the Lilavati Hospital. Riteish Deshmukh called for justice and said “The perpetrators of this horrific crime must be brought to justice.”
Baba Siddique’s political career
Baba Siddique was a prominent figure in Mumbai’s political landscape.A three-time MLA from Bandra (West), 66-year-old Siddique had joined Ajit Pawar's NCP earlier in February this year after resigning from the Congress.
He had served three terms as the MLA for Bandra (West) from 1999 to 2009. He was also a minister of state for food and civil supplies, labor, and the Food and Drug Administration between 2004 and 2008.
Before joining the NCP, Siddique had a long history with the Congress party, where he held various leadership roles, including serving as a senior vice-president of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee. His departure from the Congress was marked by a lack of explanation, as he stated, "some things are better left unsaid."
Known for his community engagement, Siddique was recognized for providing life-saving medicines during the COVID-19 pandemic and was famous for hosting large Iftar gatherings attended by prominent personalities in the Bollywood industry.
Siddique’s son, Zeeshan Siddique, is currently the Congress MLA from Bandra (East), continuing the family's political legacy in the region.
