Two suspects arrested in connection with the murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique have claimed affiliation with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, sources revealed. However, police have yet to confirm this claim, and the gang has not taken responsibility for the killing, which has raised security concerns ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra state elections.
Baba Siddique, a prominent figure in the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party faction and a former three-time MLA from Bandra East, was shot dead in Bandra last night at the age of 66.
The attack, which took place near his son’s office, involved at least six shots, with four striking Mr. Siddique in the chest. Authorities suspect the murder to be a contract killing, and four special investigation teams have been formed to probe the case.
The shooting, carried out during Dussehra celebrations, was executed by three individuals. Two of the suspects, Karnail Singh from Haryana and Dharamraj Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh, have been apprehended, while a third remains at large. Investigators believe another person was providing the shooters with information on Mr. Siddique’s whereabouts.
During questioning by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, the detained suspects claimed they had been conducting surveillance of the location for nearly a month. According to crime branch sources, the trio arrived at the scene in an auto-rickshaw before carrying out the attack.
Police are pursuing two leads: one linking the Bishnoi gang to the crime and another involving a local slum rehabilitation case. The suspicion of Bishnoi’s involvement stems from Mr. Siddique’s association with Bollywood star Salman Khan, who has previously been threatened by Lawrence Bishnoi. Sources close to Mr. Siddique claim he received a death threat 15 days ago, which led to him being assigned ‘Y’ category security. However, the police stated that he had not reported any direct threats from the Bishnoi gang.
Law enforcement agencies from central, Gujarat, and Delhi departments are coordinating their efforts to solve the case.
Lawrence Bishnoi, currently incarcerated in Gujarat, is linked to numerous criminal cases, and his gang has a history of issuing threats and demands for ransom. His gang has been tied to high-profile murders, including the assassination of rapper Sidhu Moosewala and a Delhi-based gym owner.
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