Baba Siddique's security was upgraded to Y category after he received death threat recently

Former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique’s security was increased to Y category after he had received threat to his life 15 days ago. 

On October 12 night, the former Maharashtra minister was shot at outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique’s office near Colgate ground in Nirmal Nagar, Bandra East. Baba Siddique succumbed to the bullet injuries at the Lilavati Hospital shortly after the attack.  

While two of the assailants have been since arrested, one is still at large, said the Mumbai Police. The arrested suspects, Karnail Singh from Haryana and Dharamraj Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh, claim allegiance to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, though the gang itself has not officially taken responsibility.

Police are investigating the motive behind the murder from two angles: a possible connection to Siddique's involvement in a slum rehabilitation case and his association with Bollywood star Salman Khan, who had previously received threats from the Bishnoi gang. 

Doctors from Lilavati hospital, where NCP leader Baba Siddique was admitted after being shot, have confirmed that the 66-year-old politician succumbed to injuries at 11:27 pm. 

Baba Siddique's attackers used firecrackers as cover to shoot the NCP leader. Police also recovered three bullet casings from the scene. 

Mumbai Police shifted Baba Siddique’s body to Cooper Hospital for post-mortem examination on October 13 morning, as an investigation into the NCP leader’s murder is underway. 

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has pledged strict action against those responsible for the attack on the NCP leader. "Two accused have been arrested, and one suspect is still at large. No one can take law and order into their own hands," Shinde said. 

NCP chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said he lost a “good colleague and a good friend” after Baba Siddique was killed. He said strictest action would be taken against the accused, adding that the mastermind behind the attack would also be traced. 

Opposition leaders demanded the resignation of chief minister Eknath Shinde and his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, asking how the government would protect common people if they couldn’t protect a political leader with a ‘Y’ category security cover.