A senior politician in Mumbai, India, was shot dead on Saturday, weeks before critical state elections, with police looking into the involvement of a known crime gang.
Baba Siddique, 66, a local member and former minister from Maharashtra staten, was shot multiple times in the chest outside his son’s office in Mumbai, according to Indian media.
Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister from the same party as Siddique, said he was “shocked” by the “cowardly attack.”
The Hindustan Times newspaper said that two alleged attackers had been apprehended, while police were looking for another.
According to NDTV, the two suspects claimed to be members of a gang led by Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently in jail on charges of operating a crime gang that has committed numerous murders.
The killing occurred just weeks after Siddique’s security detail was reinforced following death threats and ahead of elections later this year.
“The incident will be thoroughly investigated, and strict action will be taken against the attackers,” Pawar said in a statement. “The mastermind behind the attack will also be traced.”
Siddique was close to various Bollywood stars and was known for hosting lavish parties. Meanwhile, in 2023, Atiq Ahmad, a politician with over 100 criminal records, was shot and killed on live television while being accompanied by police for a medical checkup.
As he was speaking with journalists, a gunman approached and shot him in the head, followed by more rounds.
His brother, Ashraf, was also slain during the attack.
This came just two days after Ahmad’s son, Asad, was killed by police in what many saw as an extrajudicial act.
