Former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique killed in Bandra shooting, Lawrence Bishnoi link being probed

Baba Siddique, a former Maharashtra minister and influential figure in Mumbai's Bandra East, was shot dead on Saturday night in a targeted attack near his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office.

The shooting, which occurred around 9:30 PM, involved three men, two of whom have been arrested. The third suspect is still at large.

The gunmen fired six bullets, with four hitting the 66-year-old politician. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital but succumbed to his injuries. A close aide of Siddique was also injured in the attack.

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. Siddique, however, had not reported any such threats prior to the attack.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde called the incident a serious blow to law and order and urged strict action against those responsible. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also handles the Home portfolio, arrived at the hospital soon after the news broke.

He assured a thorough investigation. Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar, under whose faction Siddique had joined the NCP earlier this year, expressed shock at losing a "colleague and friend."

The gunmen had reportedly been conducting surveillance on Siddique for nearly a month, according to police sources. The attackers arrived at the scene in an auto-rickshaw and waited for their target to arrive before opening fire. Security agencies, including the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, are coordinating with central and state police forces to track down the third suspect and investigate the case further.

In the days leading up to his death, Siddique had been placed under 'Y' category security following an alleged death threat. While his proximity to Salman Khan is being examined as a possible motive, the full extent of the connection between the Bishnoi gang and Siddique's murder remains under investigation.