Baba Siddique Murder Investigation: Assailants Paid in Advance, Weapons Received Days Prior
Three More Arrested In Baba Siddique Murder Case From Pune, 14 Held So Far
Mumbai, India – Former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai in what police suspect to be a pre-planned attack. The arrested suspects have been identified as Gurmail Baljit Singh, 23, from Haryana, and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap, 19, from Uttar Pradesh. A third suspect remains at large, and Mumbai Police are actively searching for him with assistance from Uttar Pradesh authorities.
According to reports, the suspects were paid ₹50,000 in advance for the assassination, and firearms were delivered just days before the incident. The Times of India reported that the firearms, including a 9.9mm pistol, were procured through a prepaid courier service.
The suspects reportedly met while serving time in a Punjab jail. They had been residing in a rented room in Kurla since September 2, paying ₹14,000 monthly, according to News18. Investigators are examining various motives, including contract killing, business rivalry, and disputes over a slum rehabilitation project.
Baba Siddique, who had recently switched from the Congress party to the NCP, was under ‘Y’ category security due to a death threat he received just 15 days prior. He was shot outside the office of his son, MLA Zeeshan Siddique, near Colgate Ground in Nirmal Nagar. The attackers fired four to five rounds during a Durga visarjan procession when firecrackers were being set off, possibly to mask the gunfire.
The crime branch has initiated a thorough investigation, and the police have recovered the firearm used in the attack.
