BREAKING: Indian Ex-minister Shot Dead In Mumbai

BREAKING: Indian Ex-minister Shot Dead In Mumbai

A senior politician in Mumbai, the financial capital of India, was fatally shot on Saturday, which coincided with the upcoming state elections.

The police are actively investigating the potential involvement of a well-known criminal organization in the heinous act.

Baba Siddique, aged 66, a prominent local legislator and former minister in Maharashtra state, was targeted and shot multiple times in his chest while he was outside his son’s office in Mumbai, according to reports by Indian media outlets.

Condemning the incident, Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who belongs to the same political party as Siddique, expressed his profound shock at this “cowardly attack.”

As per a report by The Hindustan Times, two suspects believed to be involved in the crime have already been apprehended, while the police are in pursuit of another perpetrator.

According to NDTV, the detained suspects have purportedly claimed affiliation with a criminal group allegedly led by Lawrence Bishnoi, who is presently in custody on charges related to overseeing a gang that has been associated with several killings.

This tragic incident took place shortly after Siddique had received death threats, prompting an upgrade in his security measures.

The shooting occurred in the backdrop of the forthcoming elections scheduled for 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 known for his close ties with numerous Bollywood celebrities and for hosting lavish events.

In another unsettling event in 2023, in Uttar Pradesh, India, a politician named Atiq Ahmad, who had a criminal record involving more than 100 cases, was fatally shot during a live television broadcast.

The incident transpired as Ahmad, accompanied by police officers for a medical examination, was conversing with journalists when an assailant approached and shot him in the head, followed by several more rounds. Tragically, Ashraf, Ahmad’s brother, also lost his life in the same attack.

This act of violence occurred just two days following the death of Ahmad’s son, Asad, in an encounter with the police, a sequence of events that many viewed as extrajudicial in nature.

AFP