Mumbai:
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed accountability for the homicide of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique. The NCP chief, 66, was shot lifeless exterior his son Zeeshan Siddique’s workplace in Mumbai’s Bandra East final night time.
In keeping with the police, three shooters have been concerned within the homicide. Out of the three, two have been arrested – Gurmail Baljit Singh, 23, from Haryana and Dharamraj Kashyap, 19, from Uttar Pradesh – and the third has been recognized as Shiv Kumar, additionally from UP. A fourth individual, believed to be the handler, can be on the run.
The incident, which unfolded round 9:30 pm, noticed Mr Siddique and his affiliate focused by assailants who fired a number of rounds, fatally putting the politician within the chest. Hours after the taking pictures, the infamous Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed accountability for the assassination.
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The suspects had been monitoring Mr Siddique for months, conducting reconnaissance of his residence and workplace, police mentioned. The police revealed that the suspects had been paid Rs 50,000 every upfront for the hit and that arms had been delivered to them solely days earlier than the assassination.
Each arrested suspects are actually in police custody, and the hunt for the others continues. Mumbai Police have additionally heightened the safety round Salman Khan’s residence – the positioning at which a taking pictures incident happened.
On the night time of April 14, Mumbai’s Bandra neighbourhood was rocked by the sound of gunfire as two males on motorbikes fired a number of rounds exterior Mr Khan’s residence. The accused, related to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, have been charged with conspiracy to homicide and different grave offences.
In keeping with the cost sheet, the Bishnoi gang had issued a contract value Rs 25 lakh to assassinate the actor. The plan was hatched over a number of months, from August 2023 to April 2024.
Mr Siddique loved comradeship throughout get together strains, due to this fact, his killing has drawn widespread condemnation from throughout the political spectrum, with senior politicians providing condolences whereas expressing outrage over the escalating violence in Maharashtra.
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Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was among the many first to react, calling Mr Siddique’s homicide “stunning past phrases.” In a press release launched on X (previously Twitter), Mr Kharge mentioned, “The tragic demise of former Maharashtra Minister, Baba Siddique, is stunning past phrases. On this hour of grief, I provide my deepest condolences to his household, pals, and supporters. Justice have to be ensured, and the current Maharashtra authorities should order a radical and clear investigation. The culprits have to be dropped at ebook on the earliest. Accountability is paramount.”
Chief of Opposition within the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, expressed comparable sentiments.
“The tragic demise of Baba Siddique ji is stunning and saddening. My ideas are together with his household on this tough time. This horrifying incident exposes the whole collapse of legislation and order in Maharashtra. The federal government should take accountability, and justice should prevail,” Mr Gandhi wrote about his former colleague on X.
The homicide has triggered a political slugfest between the BJP and Opposition events. Whereas the BJP has requested to not politicise the homicide, the Opposition, Congress specifically, has claimed “full collapse of legislation and order in Maharashtra”.