In a shocking incident, former three-time MLA from Bandra West, Baba Siddique, was shot dead on Saturday during Dussehra festivities near his son Zeeshan’s office in Bandra East, Mumbai. Of the four alleged shooters involved in the attack, two — Dharamraj Kashyap and Shivkumar Gautam — hail from the Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh.
The families of the duo from Gandara village in Kaiserganj expressed disbelief upon learning about the allegations. “We had no idea about their whereabouts. If they are guilty, they should face the consequences,” said Radheyshyam Kashyap, Dharamraj’s father.
Siddique, 66, was a member of the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and had ‘Y’ level security at the time of the incident. The attackers fired six shots at Siddique, with four hitting him fatally. Investigators suspect a contract killing, with possible links to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The other two shooters were identified as Gurmail Baljeet Singh from Haryana and Mohammad Zeeshan Akhtar.
Despite the geographical distance of over 1,400 kilometers between Gandara and Bandra, the tension was palpable in both places. In Gandara, residents woke to a heavy police presence as authorities searched the homes of the suspects and their neighbors.
Dharamraj Kashyap, 18, is the youngest of five siblings and hails from a family struggling with financial difficulties. His father, a fish seller, described Dharamraj as ambitious, hoping to escape village life for better opportunities in big cities. “He always talked about earning big and living a better life,” Radheyshyam said. Dharamraj had left for Pune three months ago in search of a job, along with his close friend Shivkumar Gautam.
Initially, Dharamraj stayed in touch with his family, but he gradually cut off communication. His mother, Sushma Devi, recalled the worry she felt when he stopped responding to their calls. “If he is guilty, I want him to be treated like any other criminal,” she said tearfully.
Shivkumar Gautam: Estranged from Family
Shivkumar Gautam, 23, had been living in Pune for six years, working in the scrap trade business. According to his family, Shivkumar had slowly distanced himself from them over the years. His mother recounted how he had stopped sending money and ceased communication, except for an instance when his sister fell ill, prompting him to send a small amount of financial aid.
“I believe my son was misled,” said his father, Balkrishna Kumar, in disbelief. “But if he is found guilty, he should face the punishment for his actions.”
As investigations continue, the involvement of the four accused individuals is being scrutinized, with police examining potential gang affiliations and motives behind the killing. For the families in Gandara, the shock and disbelief linger, as they come to terms with the possibility that their children might be involved in a brutal political murder far from home.
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