Maharashtra ex-minister, key Muslim leader Baba Siddique shot dead in Mumbai’s Bandra

Former Maharashtra minister and leader of Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Baba Siddique was shot dead by three unknown shooters in Mumbai's Bandra on Oct 12 evening.

While Mumbai police have arrested two suspects — Gurmail Singh (23) of Haryana and Dharamraj Kashyap (19) of Uttar Pradesh and launched a manhunt to nab the third, the crime branch took over the probe and is investigating the angles of business rivalry, contract killing, and threat over a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project, officials were quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, crime branch sources were quoted as saying the two suspects arrested have claimed they belong to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Police have not verified this claim while the gang is yet to admit responsibility for the killing that has sparked immense security concerns ahead of the Maharashtra state elections.

During their interrogation by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, the suspects claimed they had been conducting a recce of the shooting spot in Bandra East for nearly a month, sources were quoted as saying. The three accused arrived there in an auto rickshaw last night and waited for a while before targeting Baba, added the sources in the crime branch.

The cops are probing the case from two angles — one involving the Bishnoi gang and another related to a slum rehabilitation case. Notably, the involvement of the Bishnoi gang is suspected due to Siddique's proximity to Bollywood star Salman Khan, who had earlier received threats from Lawrence Bishnoi. Sources close to the victim were quoted as claiming he had received a death threat 15 days ago and was given the ‘Y' category security cover.

But Siddique did not report any threat from the Bishnoi gang, according to the Mumbai police. Bishnoi has also been linked to several murders, including those of rapper Sidhu Moosewala and a Delhi-based gym owner of Afghan origin.

Rohit Godara, a close aide of Bishnoi, had earlier claimed that anyone who was a friend of Salman Khan was their enemy.
Central agencies are in touch with the Mumbai Police while cops in Gujarat and Delhi are also probing the case, according to media reports.

Crime branch in a statement said a case has been registered at Nirmal Nagar Police Station under crime registration no. 589/2024, sections 103(1), 109, 125, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 3, 25, 5, and 27 of the Arms Act, and Section 37 and Section 137 of the Maharashtra Police Act.

“A forensic team visited the crime spot and collected samples and police were checking CCTV footage of the nearby spots to get more information about the attack,” a police official was quoted as saying.

“The shooters opened four to five rounds of fire from a 9.9 MM pistol which was recovered by police,” he added.
Police did not say where the two accused were arrested but said raids are being conducted at many places across Mumbai to nab the other accused.

Maharastra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who visited Cooper Hospital and offered condolences to Congress Member Legislative Assembly (MLA) and Siddique’s son Zeeshan Siddique, was quoted as saying, “Five teams have been formed and sent to different States. The Chief Minister, Home Minister, and I are monitoring the situation. Who gave the contract for murder and who is behind all this, I believe it will be known in 2-3 days.”

“I am shocked at Siddique's death and have lost a good colleague and friend,” he added.

Sources were quoted as saying the assailants fired six bullets at Siddique — a key Muslim political leader in Maharashtra — around 9.30 pm near the office of his son Zeeshan, who is a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Bandra East, leading to his death.

Pawar said a funeral will be arranged with full State honor at Bada Qabrastan, in Mumbai lines on Sunday evening.
“The Opposition will blame the government but our work is to take care of law & order. The chief minister has assured us that we will soon get to know who was behind this...” he added.

Siddique 66, was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital but doctors declared him “brought dead” on arrival.
Sources were quoted as saying that four bullets hit Siddique around the chest and neck and one of his aides also suffered a gunshot wound. Incidentally, the shooting took place on Dussehra, and just a few months ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections scheduled later this year.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde strongly condemned the incident. "The incident is extremely unfortunate. Two people have been arrested, one from Uttar Pradesh and one from Haryana, while another is on the run. I have asked the police to take strict action and ensure no one takes law and order into their hands. A gang-war-like situation should not be allowed to resurface in Mumbai," Shinde said in a statement.

Siddique, who was a three-time MLA from Bandra West, remained associated with the Congress for at least 48 years. He joined the Pawar-led NCP in February this year after quitting the Congress party.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Oct 13 said that no one can escape the law in Maharashtra, asserting that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has arrested two accused within 24 hours.

Terming the incident as “unfortunate and tragic”, the BJP leader said in a statement said.“The Maharashtra government of Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar’s NDA government have caught two accused within 24 hours. The search for one accused is underway and he will also be caught soon,” Bhandari added.

He said that politics should not be done on this tragic incident. “Baba Siddiqui was a big leader. In Maharashtra, no one can escape the law. Within minutes of the crime, police came into action. They formed a special team. CM Eknath Shinde is monitoring the entire investigation,” he added.

NCP spokesperson Brijmohan Shrivastav was quoted as saying that Siddique had not spoken about any threats from anybody. Siddique was elected as an MLA from the Bandra West constituency in 1999, 2004, and 2009 and served as a minister of state for food and civil supplies, labor, and FDA between 2004 and 2008.

Pertinently, Bishnoi, who faces dozens of criminal cases, is currently lodged in a jail in Gujarat, but his gang keeps making headlines over ransom calls to businessmen. Salman Khan has been on his "target list" over his 1998 black buck hunting case.
Police sources were quoted as saying there are over 700 shooters in the Bishnoi gang and many small and big criminals across the country work for him.

Known for political acumen & fostering cultural harmony
​
Siddique was known not just for his political acumen but also for hosting lavish parties. A cold war between superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan was resolved at an 'iftar' party hosted by Siddique in 2013.

Born on September 13, 1958, in Patna, Siddique grew up in Mumbai and joined the Congress as a teenager in 1977. He quickly rose through the ranks due to his strong connections with the local electorate.

Siddique went on to become the General Secretary of the Bandra Taluka of the Bandra Youth Congress in 1980 and was elected its chief within the next two years. In 1988, he became the president of the Mumbai Youth Congress and was elected Municipal Councillor in 1992.

He won his first election in 1999 and became MLA from the Bandra West constituency. His win was seen as a result of his strong grassroots support and ability to mobilize voters from diverse communities.

During his time as an MLA, Siddique worked extensively on improving the infrastructure of his constituency, focusing on slum rehabilitation, upgrading healthcare facilities, and enhancing educational institutions.

He was widely recognized for hosting annual Iftar parties, which became a hallmark of his political career. These gatherings were not only a display of cultural harmony but also brought together political leaders from various parties, Bollywood celebrities, and business figures.

Death widely condoled

Expressing grief at the death of Siddique, leaders of opposition parties also raised questions about law and order in Mumbai, asking how a politician who had Y-level security could be killed in public in an upscale area like Bandra.

NCP — Sharadchandra Pawar — President Sharad Pawar in a statement said people in the government should take responsibility and step down from their posts.

"The deteriorating law and order situation in the state is a matter of concern. Sadly, former state minister Siddique was shot dead in the country's financial capital, Mumbai. If the Home Minister and the rulers will take the state's vehicle forward with such leniency, it can be a warning sign for the common people. This not only needs to be investigated the rulers need to accept responsibility and step down from their posts. My heartfelt tribute to Baba Siddiqui and condolences to his family," he said.

Congress leader and leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar, accused the state government of supporting criminals.

"The shooting and killing of former minister of state and former MLA Siddique, who had Y-level security, is very shocking and tragic. I am praying for strength for his family in this difficult time.

A big leader in the state has been shot like this. We keep saying that Maharashtra has become Uttar Pradesh. Mumbai was peaceful but such incidents are happening here now because there is no fear of the police in the city. The government has supported criminals," Wadettiwar said in a statement.