Three men emerged from a vehicle, their faces covered with handkerchiefs and opened fire with a 9.9 mm pistol, firing three rounds, one of which struck Siddiqui in the chest, causing him to collapse on the spot. He was quickly rushed to Lilavati Hospital but succumbed to his injuries shortly after arriving.
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for the murder, citing Siddique’s alleged connections with underworld figures and property dealings. Two suspects have been arrested, and the Mumbai police are pursuing a third. A search is on in 15 states to catch their aides.
In a social media post, Lawrence Bishnoi took responsibility for the murder of Baba Siddique, stating, “We did not want this fight with Salman Khan, but you caused harm to our brother. Baba Siddique, who is being praised for his integrity, was once associated with Dawood Ibrahim under the MCOCA Act. The reason for his killing was his connection with Anuj Thapan, Dawood, Bollywood, politics, and property dealings. We have no personal enmity with anyone, but whoever supports Salman Khan or the Dawood gang should prepare themselves. If anyone harms any of our brothers, we will respond. We have never initiated an attack first.” The post concluded with slogans like “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Bharat” and a tribute to martyrs.
According to the media, two shooters from Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh have been identified. Shiva Kumar, alias Shiva Gautam, who is absconding, and Dharmaraj Kashyap, who has been arrested, both hail from Gandara village in the Kaiserganj police station area of Bahraich.
Siddique, originally from Bihar, had a notable political career, serving as an MLA for the Bandra West constituency for three consecutive terms and holding various ministerial positions in Maharashtra. Just two weeks ago, Baba Siddique had received a death threat, prompting authorities to provide him with ‘Y’ category security.
Baba Siddique’s political journey began at a young age when he joined the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress party. His rise in politics was swift, as he was soon elected as a Municipal Corporator in Mumbai.
Siddique went on to represent the Vandre West constituency as an MLA for three consecutive terms in 1999, 2004, and 2009. Over his political career, he held important positions, including Minister of State for Food & Civil Supplies, Labour, and the FDA.
Slain NCP leader is to be cremated with full state honours, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced on Sunday.