Baba Siddique shot dead: Bishnoi gang allegedly behind assassination, officials say

Baba Siddique with son Zeeshan/ X

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang, whose members fired multiple rounds outside actor Salman Khan's residence earlier this year, is suspected of being behind Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) leader Baba Siddique's murder. Officials told mid-day that they have discovered links suggesting the accused, after Baba Siddique was shot dead, are members of the Bishnoi gang.

Additionally, the police are also probing the possibility that an SRA dispute may have been the motive behind the attack on former Maharashtra minister Siddique.

Baba Siddique shot dead: Manhunt to nab third accused launched

Police officials told the newspaper that the two suspects - who were arrested at the scene - have been identified as Karnail Singh from Haryana and Dharmaraj Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh. Mumbai Crime Branch has launched a manhunt to arrest the unidentified third accused who fled the scene.

The officials revealed that the three accused arrived in an auto-rickshaw and shot at Baba Siddique as he stepped out of his son, MLA Zeeshan Siddique's office, where he was meeting his workers before getting into his Range Rover.

They said that the accused camped outside Zeeshan's office and as soon as Baba Siddique walked out, they shot him at close range. One suspect managed to flee on foot, while the other two were apprehended at the scene.

Baba Siddique shot dead: Arrested accused paid to kill NCP leader

Officials have confirmed that they found a total of six cartridges at the scene. Two bullets hit Siddique in the chest and one struck a worker in the leg; two missed their target and another hit Siddique's car.

The shooting occurred between 9 and 9.15 pm following which Siddique was rushed to Lilavati Hospital where doctors declared him dead at 11.35 pm.

Highly placed sources told mid-day that the two accused, arrested for shooting Baba Siddique, are contract killers who were paid to eliminate the senior politician, likely due to his close connection with actor Salman Khan.