The attackers who killed NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique outside his son’s office on Saturday had made preparations all in advance and tracked his whereabouts for over two months, sources said.
The police sources said they are probing the ‘contract killing’ angle in the case as they suspect the mastermind in the case, who is still unknown, made payment to killers to carry the attack without warning.
The politician, who took a big jump in February this year by ending his four-decade-long ties with the Congress and joining the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, had received a death threat just 15 days ago and was under ‘Y’ category security.
The Mumbai Police confirmed that the firing took place outside the office of his MLA son, Zeeshan Siddique, near Colgate Ground in Nirmal Nagar.
Two people have been arrested in connection with his killing. The two accused–Karnail Singh from Haryana and Dharamraj Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh–claimed during interrogation that they belonged to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, a notorious gangster currently in jail, Crime Branch sources said.
The third person involved in his killing is still on the run. The police sources revealed that total of four persons were involved in the incident with one person relaying information about Siddique’s movement to the attackers.
Attackers Fired Under The Cover Of Crackers
Baba Siddique’s attackers used firecrackers as cover to shoot the NCP leader. The incident occurred during Dussehra celebrations, when firecrackers were being burst outside the office of his son and MLA Zeeshan Siddique.
Three masked attackers reportedly stepped out of a car and opened fire at Siddique with a 9.9 mm pistol without warning, using the firecracker sound as cover.
As many as three rounds were fired, of which two hit the NCP leader, said police. One of the bullets cracked the windshield of Baba Siddique’s vehicle, confirming that multiple shots were fired. Police also recovered three bullet casings from the scene, according to another video that surfaced online.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, they added.
Baba Siddique Had ‘2 Gunshot Wounds’
Doctors from Lilavati Hospital, where NCP leader Baba Siddique was admitted after being shot, have confirmed that the 66-year-old politician succumbed to injuries at 11:27 pm and had ‘two gunshot wounds.’
Dr Nitin Gokhale, Cardiologist at Leelavti Hospital, said, “Baba Siddique Saheb was brought to Leelavti Hospital at 9:30 pm, with no pulse rate and blood pressure. He had two gunshot wounds on his chest. We started the emergency and recitative measures. He was shifted to the ICU. At 11:27 pm he was declared dead. The number of bullets fired will be certain after postmortem.”
CM Shinde Vows Strict Action
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that two people have been arrested in connection with the case and vowed that the state government will ensure that the case is tried in a fast-track court.
“This is an extremely unfortunate incident and I spoke to the doctors and police. Two people have been arrested, the accused are from UP and Haryana. The third accused is absconding. We have given instructions to Mumbai Police that strict action should be taken against those who take law and order into their hands…I am sure that Mumbai police will soon arrest the third accused… We will take this case to a fast-track court,” he said during a press conference.
The former MLA was known not just for his political acumen but also for hosting lavish Bollywood parties. A cold war between Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan was resolved at an iftaar party hosted by him in 2013.
