Mumbai witnessed a tragic incident as former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, aged 66, was shot dead outside his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Bandra East. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for the assassination, which took place around 9:30 PM. Police reports suggest three shooters were involved, with two already arrested: Gurmail Baljit Singh, 23, from Haryana, and Dharamraj Kashyap, 19, from Uttar Pradesh. The third shooter, Shiv Kumar Gautam from UP, remains on the run, alongside a suspected handler.
Baba Siddique Killed in Mumbai
The attackers fired multiple rounds, fatally wounding Baba Siddique in the chest. Hours after the incident, a social media post linked to the Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility, drawing attention to Shubham Rameshwar Lonkar, an associate of the gang, who was arrested earlier this year for possessing illegal weapons.
The investigation revealed that the shooters had been tracking Siddique for months, receiving ₹ 50,000 in advance for the hit. They reportedly worked as laborers in Pune before falling into criminal activity, possibly during a stint in a Punjab jail. Two suspects, Dharamraj and Shiv Kumar, are from Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, and had no prior criminal records in their hometowns.
All political stripes are outraged by the incident. Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of the Congress, expressed his profound sadness over Siddique’s passing and demanded that the Maharashtra government act quickly to provide justice and responsibility. Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition, also denounced the event and emphasized how the state’s law and order had collapsed. Political tensions have increased as the BJP has recommended against politicising the tragedy and the Congress has accused the government of failing to ensure security.
Concerns regarding the Bishnoi gang have also grown in light of the murder, especially in light of their prior complicity in a plot to assassinate actor Salman Khan, which culminated in a botched shooting attempt outside the actor’s Bandra home. Mumbai Police have stepped up security around prominent locations in light of the ongoing search for other suspects and the custody of two already.
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