The assassination of a politician in a busy area of Mumbai has sent shockwaves throughout India.
Baba Ziauddin Siddique, 66, was shot on Saturday night near his car while leaving his son’s office and later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Siddique, a prominent figure in the coalition government of Maharashtra, the state where Mumbai is located, has sparked a political blame game following his death.
The motive behind the murder remains unclear, but it has evoked memories of the 1990s when politicians and film stars were often targeted by Mumbai’s underworld.
So far, police have arrested three suspects and continue their investigation. Local reports suggest the individuals are affiliated with a notorious gang, whose leader is currently incarcerated.
Who Was Baba Siddique?
Born in Bihar, Siddique moved to Mumbai at age five with his watchmaker father. He began his political journey in the 1980s as a student leader for the Congress party, quickly rising to lead its youth wing in Mumbai. Siddique then entered local politics, serving three consecutive terms in the state legislature and becoming a minister in 2004 for about four years.
In February, he left the Congress to join the Nationalist Congress Party, which currently governs the state alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena.
Aside from his political career, Siddique was known for his lavish iftar parties during Ramadan, which attracted Bollywood celebrities. Notably, it was at his 2013 iftar party that Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan reconciled, turning the event into a highlight of Mumbai’s social calendar.
How Was Siddique Killed?
Siddique was shot outside his son’s office in the bustling Bandra area. Police reported that three shooters fired six to seven rounds, hitting him in the abdomen and chest before fleeing the scene. A bystander was also injured by a stray bullet.
Investigators have recovered two pistols and 28 live rounds from the arrested suspects. Despite Siddique having three police guards—whose security had reportedly been upgraded just days before the incident—the suspects managed to distract them by igniting a “smoke firecracker.”
What Is the Status of the Investigation?
Police have been granted custody of the arrested suspects for a week as they search for additional accomplices. “We have formed 15 teams to investigate who provided logistical support to the shooters,” stated senior police official Datta Nalawade.
While not officially confirmed, several reports link the suspects to the notorious Bishnoi gang, whose leader Lawrence Bishnoi is currently serving time in a high-security prison in Gujarat. Within hours of the shooting, a person claiming to be a gang member posted on Facebook, alleging responsibility for Siddique’s murder. However, police have yet to verify the authenticity of this claim.
Although Bishnoi has been imprisoned since 2015, he remains in the news, with many social media accounts claiming to represent him or his associates often sharing selfies from jail. In 2022, he even conducted an interview with a television channel, leading to investigations into his operations from behind bars.
The gang has been implicated in several high-profile cases, including the murder of Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moosewala in 2022 and recent shots fired outside actor Salman Khan’s apartment.
Additionally, Canadian police have suggested that the Bishnoi group has links to Indian government agents using the gang to target Sikh separatists abroad, although India has not officially responded to these claims.
What Else Has Happened?
Siddique’s assassination marks the first significant political killing in Mumbai since the 1990s, a period notorious for high-profile murders linked to the underworld. Local media reported that he had received a death threat two weeks prior, which led to an upgrade in his security.
His murder has placed the state government in a difficult position, especially with upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge labeled the incident “a complete failure of law and order in Maharashtra,” while former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal stated that it has frightened not only the people of Maharashtra but the entire nation.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde defended his administration, stating, “[The culprits] will not be spared, regardless of whether they are from the Bishnoi gang or any other underworld group… It is the state government’s responsibility to ensure the safety of those under threat, and we will fulfill that duty.”
