Baba Siddique: Mumbai politician shot dead near office as police blame jailed gang leader

A distinguished Indian politician recognized for his robust connections to Bollywood was shot lifeless in Mumbai on Saturday by unknown assailants, simply months earlier than state elections.

Baba Siddique, a three-time member of the state legislative meeting, was attacked close to his son’s workplace within the upscale Bandra East space of Mumbai.

The 66-year-old former Maharashtra state minister was shot within the chest by three males who fired a volley of bullets on Saturday, when the nation was celebrating the Hindu competition of Dussehra.

Siddique was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, however succumbed to his accidents. An aide accompanying him was additionally injured.

Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who’s from the identical political get together as Siddique, stated he was shocked by the killing. “The incident shall be completely investigated and strict motion shall be taken in opposition to the attackers. The mastermind behind the assault may also be traced,” Pawar stated in an announcement.

The incident has raised issues about political violence forward of the upcoming Maharashtra meeting elections and a resurgence of gang violence in Mumbai, one thing which has been curbed lately.

The police have arrested three suspects and stated they had been related to the crime organisation run by jailed gang chief Lawrence Bishnoi, in accordance with the NDTV information channel.

The gang has been linked to plenty of high-profile killings and extortion circumstances prior to now. Regardless that Bishnoi, who faces dozens of legal circumstances, is presently imprisoned in a jail in Gujarat, his gang retains making headlines over reviews of ransom calls to businessmen.

Bishnoi has additionally been linked by police to plenty of homicide circumstances lately, together with the high-profile killing of rapper Sidhu Moosewala.

Police stated they had been but to substantiate the gang’s involvement, however informed Indian media that the alleged killers had admitted to being in contact with the gang.

Police are reportedly investigating two potential motives behind the assault: one involving Bishnoi’s legal community and one other associated to a slum rehabilitation case Siddique was dealing with.

Siddique was a former member of the Congress Celebration who later aligned with a faction of the smaller Nationalist Congress Celebration (NCP) that fashioned a Maharashtra coalition authorities with the BJP.

His affect stretched far past politics, nevertheless, and he typically made headlines for his ties to Bollywood celebrities. His lavish iftar events – a festive meal eaten by Muslims at sundown to interrupt their quick throughout Ramadan, had been attended by stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. Siddique reportedly performed a key function in mending the connection between the 2 Bollywood superstars.

Siddique had acquired a demise menace as not too long ago as 15 days earlier than the assault and was given Y-level safety, the fourth tier of safety offered by the federal government of India to distinguished people who face threats seen as comparatively gentle. A safety staff at this stage usually contains eight personnel, together with one or two commandos and a few law enforcement officials.

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde condemned the killing, calling it “extraordinarily unlucky” and warning in opposition to the return of gang violence in Mumbai.

“I’ve requested the police to take strict motion and guarantee nobody takes regulation and order into their fingers. A gang-war-like scenario shouldn’t be allowed to resurface in Mumbai,” he stated.

Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who oversees the house ministry, stated he’s monitoring the case.

Sharad Pawar, former chief minister of Maharashtra and a critic of the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Celebration, stated individuals within the authorities ought to take accountability and step down from their posts.

“The deteriorating regulation and order scenario within the state is a matter of concern,” he wrote within the Marathi language.

“If the house minister and the rulers will take the state’s car ahead with such leniency, it may be a warning signal for the widespread individuals.”