Baba Siddique’s killers were paid in advance and given firearms days ago; 4-5 shots fired | Latest News India

While two of the suspected attackers have been arrested, another accused is on the run and efforts are on to trace him, police said.

The arrested accused have been identified as Gurmail Baljit Singh (23), a resident of Haryana, and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19), a native of Uttar Pradesh, police added.

The killers had been paid in advance for their part in the crime and had received a shipment of firearms a few days earlier. The Times of India reported.

A case has been registered against the three accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including for murder, as well as under the provisions of the Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act, it said.

Baba Siddique (66) was ambushed and shot at by three people in Kher Nagar in Mumbai’s Bandra district just outside the office of his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique, an official said.

He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital in Bandra where he was declared dead.

After the incident, a forensic team visited the crime scene and collected samples and police checked CCTV camera footage of the nearby locations to get more information about the attack, the official said.

4-5 rounds fired from a 9.9mm pistol

The shooters fired four to five shots from a 9.9 mm pistol that was seized by police, police said. During investigation, police found that the attackers had fired at Baba Siddique when people started bursting firecrackers during a Durga Visarjan procession, a police official said.

What the Maharashtra government said on the death of Baba Siddique

They had an advantage because most people didn’t hear the shots, police said. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar termed the attack extremely unfortunate and condemnable.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the incident was deeply unfortunate. “We have directed the police to ensure that under no circumstances does anyone take the law into their hands. We cannot allow any form of gang warfare to arise again in our city,” he said.

Baba Siddique was known for his large Iftar parties

During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Baba Siddique had procured much sought-after medicines for needy patients. He was also known for his grand Iftar parties attended by top Bollywood stars.

A prominent Muslim leader from Mumbai, he was also known for his proximity to several Bollywood stars including Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Sanjay Dutt.