Lawrence Bishnoi gang link emerges in Baba Siddique's killing
Baba Siddique, a former Maharashtra minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, was shot dead by three men in Mumbai on Saturday evening. The 66-year-old politician was attacked around 9:30pm during Dussehra celebrations outside the office of Maharashtra MLA Zeeshan Siddique, Siddique's son. He suffered gunshot wounds to his stomach and chest and later died at Lilavati Hospital. Two men, Karnail Singh and Dharamraj Kashyap, have been arrested by the police in connection with the attack.
Details of the attack and ongoing investigation
The assailants allegedly used the noise of firecrackers as a cover to open fire at Siddique with a 9.9mm pistol. One bullet hit Siddique in the chest, causing him to collapse immediately. Another bullet shattered the windshield of his vehicle. Police recovered three bullet casings from the scene, confirming multiple shots were fired during this incident, India Today reported.
Police looking into the crime from 2 angles
Sources in the crime brach informed NDTV that the three accused arrived at the location in an autorickshaw and waited for some time before the shooting. Police are looking into the crime from two different angles: one involving the Bishnoi gang and another concerning a slum rehabilitation case. The Bishnoi gang's involvement is suspected based on Siddique's relationship to Bollywood star Salman Khan, who had received multiple threats from Lawrence Bishnoi.
Maharashtra government promises swift action
Police also said that Siddique's security was beefed up to the Y category after he received a death threat 15 days ago. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has vowed strict action against those behind the attack on Siddique. Congress leader KC Venugopal called Siddique's death a "massive loss" to the people of Maharashtra, while Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi questioned public safety if a political leader with 'Y' category security cover couldn't be protected.
