Mumbai:

The two suspects arrested in the killing of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique have claimed they belong to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, said sources. Cops are yet to verify this claim while the gang is yet to admit responsibility for the murder that has sparked security concerns ahead of the Maharashtra state elections.

Baba Siddique, 66, a prominent politician from the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party and a former three-MLA from Bandra East, was shot dead in Bandra last night.

At least six bullets were fired at Mr Siddique near his son’s office and four hit him in the chest. Cops, who suspect it to be a contract killing, have formed four special teams to probe the case.

The shooting, that coincided with Dussehra festivities, was carried out by three men. Two men – Karnail Singh from Haryana and Dharamraj Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh – were arrested while the third remains on the run. Cops, however, believe someone else was providing them with information about Mr Siddique’s location.

During their interrogation by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, the two arrested suspects claimed they had been conducting a recce of the shooting spot in Bandra East for nearly a month, said sources.

The three accused arrived there in an auto rickshaw last night and waited for a while before the shooting took place, added the sources in the crime branch.

The cops are probing the case from two angles – one involving the Bishnoi gang and another related to a slum rehabilitation case.

The involvement of the Bishnoi gang is suspected due to Mr Siddique’s proximity to Bollywood star Salman Khan, who had received threats from Lawrence Bishnoi. Sources close to the victim claim he had received a death threat 15 days ago and was given the ‘Y’ category security cover.

Mr Siddique, however, did not report any threat from the Bishnoi gang, according to the police.

Central agencies are in touch with the Mumbai Police while cops in Gujarat and Delhi are also probing the case.

Lawrence Bishnoi, who faces dozens of criminal cases, is currently lodged in a jail in Gujarat, but his gang keeps making headlines over ransom calls to businessmen. Salman Khan has been on his “target list” over his infamous 1998 black buck hunting case.

Rohit Godara, a close aide of Bishnoi, had earlier claimed that anyone who was a friend of Salman Khan was their enemy.

Police sources suggest there are over 700 shooters in the Bishnoi gang and many small and big criminals across the country work for him. Bishnoi has also been linked to several murders in recent days, including those of rapper Sidhu Moosewala and a Delhi-based gym owner of Afghan origin.

Baba Siddique, Maharashtra’s former minister and a leader of National Congress Party (Ajit Pawar’s faction), has died after being shot at inside his son’s office in Mumbai’s Bandra, according to news agency ANI. According to sources, two to three shots were fired at Baba Siddique at around 9:30 pm and two people have been taken into custody in connection with the firing. 

Here are updates on the big story: 

The Site Where Baba Siddique Was Shot At
Baba Siddique was visiting his MLA son’s Bandra office when the shooting took place. Reports say three bullets were fired at him. 

Live Coverage On Baba Siddique
Baba Siddique, who enjoys Y-level security, was shot at in Mumbai’s Bandra and died later at Lilavati Hospital. 

LIVE Coverage | Maharashtra Ex Minister Baba Siddique Shot Dead Inside Son’s Mumbai Officehttps://t.co/kzGHE0rv50

– NDTV (@ndtv) October 12, 2024

2 Arrested For Shooting At Baba Siddique: Eknath Shinde
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said he has spoken to police and people at the hospital. “Two people have been arrested, one from Uttar Pradesh and one from Haryana, while another is on the run. I have asked the Mumbai police to take strict action,” he said.