Baba Siddiqui shot dead: Following the arrest of two suspects in the murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, Mumbai police have confirmed that jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi is involved in the killing of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and three-time MLA, The Indian Express reported.
Despite having Y-level security, Siddique was shot dead by three assailants on Saturday night while the nation was celebrating Vijayadashami. Two of the suspects are currently in police custody. The shooting took place as Siddique was leaving his son, MLA Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Bandra East and entering his car.
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This incident comes as the Assembly elections are expected to take place in November. Meanwhile, Siddique’s son, MLA Zeeshan Siddique, is refusing to allow the postmortem until there is “clarity on the motive,” police said on Sunday morning.
According to police, the assailants fired around six to seven rounds, with two bullets striking his chest and one hitting his abdomen. He sustained multiple serious injuries and was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he was pronounced dead during treatment.
Leaders from various opposition parties, including Congress, have condemned the incident and demanded accountability from the Shinde-led government for the “growing criminal activities” in the state.
Prominent figures, including Sharad Pawar, have called for the resignation of Maharashtra Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Meanwhile, Mumbai Police have identified and detained two individuals—one from Haryana and the other from Uttar Pradesh—linked to the incident. A third suspect is reportedly absconding, and the case has been handed over to the Mumbai Crime Branch.
Siddique was a three-time Congress MLA representing the Bandra West constituency from 1999 until 2014 and served as a minister in the Congress-NCP government from 2004 to 2008.