Mumbai, India — In a bold daylight attack, former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique was fatally shot last week by three gunmen outside his son’s office in Mumbai, an incident that has shaken the local community and highlighted ongoing concerns about organized crime in the region.
The assailants, identified as Gurmel Baljit Singh, Dharmaraj Kashyap, and Shivkumar Gautam, executed their deadly plan on October 12. According to police sources, the gunmen, originating from Uttar Pradesh, intended to blend in with the festivities of a Dussehra procession before carrying out the murder. However, overwhelmed by the crowd and security presence, Shivkumar reportedly took the initiative to shoot first.
Amid the chaos following the shooting of Siddique, who was hit by six bullets, the attackers also resorted to throwing chilli powder and pepper spray to obstruct the police and facilitate their escape. Although Shivkumar managed to flee by blending into the dispersing crowd, his accomplices Singh and Kashyap were apprehended by law enforcement.
During the confrontation, another individual named Raj Kanojia, who was in the vicinity but unrelated to Siddique, sustained injuries. A newly released video from the scene shows bystanders attempting to provide first aid to Kanojia, who suffered a gunshot wound to his leg.
Law enforcement officials later found two pistols and 28 rounds of live ammunition on the captured suspects. Investigations revealed that each gunman had been paid Rs 50,000 in advance for the assassination, with the weapons delivered just days before the shooting.
Further complicating the case is the alleged connection of the accused to Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang. Bishnoi, a notorious gangster currently detained in Gujarat’s Sabarmati jail, is also suspected of involvement in a previous attack outside Bollywood star Salman Khan’s Mumbai residence. Khan was a known associate of Siddique, adding layers to an already intricate investigation.
Police sources also disclosed that the gunmen had been monitoring Siddique’s movements for months, meticulously planning their attack by scouting his residence and office locations.
Amid ongoing investigations, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde assured the public that efforts are intensifying to apprehend Shivkumar, the third accomplice, promising his capture would occur “soon.”
This murder not only spotlights the persistent issues of organized crime linked to high-profile public figures but also underscores the vulnerabilities in public safety, even for those with police protection, as Siddique had been allocated non-categorised security detail including shifts of police constables at the time of his attack.