In a shocking incident, Nationalist Congress Party Ajit Pawar faction’s senior leader Baba Ziauddin Siddique was shot dead near Nirmal Nagar in Bandra east on Saturday, October 12.
At least two-three persons, who were waiting for him, rushed and fired multiple rounds indiscriminately at Siddique, and he sustained two-three rounds, including one in the chest, outside his office. An aide standing nearby also suffered a shot in the leg as the assailants fled the scene after the attack at around 9:30 pm.
Initially, the crowd did not notice the incident as fire-crackers were being burst on the roads as part of the Dussehra Day celebrations. Crowds were also returning from two major political rallies that were held that evening.
Baba Ziadduin Siddique was taken to the Lilavati Hospital in Bandra West, where he was declared dead on admission. As news of Siddique’s demise spread like wildfire, top leaders of NCP, Congress and leaders of the Mahayuti alliance arrived at the hospital. The ruling Mahayuti alliance comprises Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, and NCP led by Ajit Pawar. Congress MLA and Ziauddin’s son Zeeshan B Siddique rushed to the hospital, besides his close friend and Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, among others.
According to a police officer, two persons were arrested from Andheri east soon after the shootout and further investigations were underway by the Crime Branch. Though the motives behind the killing of the influential and prominent minority community leader Siddique are not clear, it is suspected to be an outcome of some business rivalry.
A veteran Congress leader for decades and a close associate of the former Union Minister Sunil Dutt and his daughter Priya Dutt, Siddique had quit the party to throw his lot with Ajit Pawar’s NCP in February, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
For the past few months, even his son Zeeshan has been sitting on the fence and is expected to make his political preferences clear soon, ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections.
The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders have slammed the MahaYuti regime for the sensational killing of Siddique and demanded the resignation of the Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, October 13 said that the killing of Baba Siddique 'exposed' the collapse of law and order in Maharashtra.
In a post on micro-blogging website X, he wrote: “The tragic demise of Baba Siddique ji is shocking and saddening. My thoughts are with his family in this difficult time. This horrifying incident exposes the complete collapse of law and order in Maharashtra. The government must take responsibility, and justice must prevail.”
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced on Saturday that the trial of the murder case will take place in the fast-track court and encounter specialist Daya Nayak will investigate the incident.
He further said the Mumbai Police have been directed to maintain law and order and they should see that nobody takes law and order into their hands. "Gang war should not be revived. Strict action should be taken against those indulging in such incidents."
NCP(SP) MP Supriya Sule said, “This is absolutely unacceptable, when a member of the ruling govt alliance is unsafe & killed in his own son’s office that too in Mumbai, it speaks volumes about the law and order state in Maharashtra!’’
NCP Minister Chhagan Bhujbal appealed to Deputy CM and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis to investigate NCP’s Byculla Taluka President Sachin Kurmi as well.
“It is not even a week since the murder of Byculla Taluka President Sachin Kurmi of the Nationalist Congress Party, this incident is very alarming. My earnest appeal to state home minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mumbai Police is to take immediate steps to investigate these two cases on a war footing. A heartfelt tribute to Baba Siddique! I share in the grief of his family. We pray that they get the strength to overcome this pain.’’