Former Minister shot dead

A senior politician in Mumbai, India’s financial hub, was shot dead on Saturday, just weeks before important state elections.

Baba Siddique, 66, a well-known local lawmaker and former Maharashtra state minister, was gunned down outside his son’s office, suffering multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, according to Indian media reports.

Police are investigating possible links to a notorious crime gang, and Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar, who is in the same political party as Siddique, condemned the “cowardly attack.”

The Hindustan Times reported that two suspects have been arrested, while authorities continue searching for a third.

Broadcaster NDTV revealed that the arrested suspects claimed affiliation with a gang led by Lawrence Bishnoi, a notorious criminal currently in jail and accused of orchestrating several killings.

This attack occurred just weeks after Siddique’s security was enhanced following death threats, and it comes ahead of elections set for later this year.

“The incident will be thoroughly investigated, and severe action will be taken against the attackers,” Pawar said in a statement. “The mastermind behind this attack will also be tracked down.”

Siddique, known for his close ties to several Bollywood stars and for hosting lavish parties, had been a well-known figure in Maharashtra’s political and social circles.

The killing draws parallels to a similar high-profile assassination in 2023, when politician Atiq Ahmad was shot dead on live television in Uttar Pradesh.

Ahmad, who had over 100 criminal cases against him, was killed alongside his brother, Ashraf, while being escorted by police for a medical checkup.

This occurred just days after Ahmad’s son, Asad, was killed by police in what many considered an extrajudicial action.