Baba Siddique shot dead: NCP leader laid to rest with full state honours in Mumbai

Pic/Atul Kamble

Former Maharashtra Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique was laid to rest with full state honours at Bada Qabrastan in Marine Lines on Sunday, a day after he was shot dead in Bandra by three assailants.

Several NCP leaders, deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Praful Patel attended the last rites at Bada Qabrastan, news agency ANI reported.

Siddique was shot outside his office in Nirmal Nagar. He sustained two gunshot wounds to his chest and was rushed to Lilavati Hospital for emergency treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries on Saturday night.

Dr Jalil Parkar, a physician at Lilavati Hospital, said, "Baba Siddique was brought in around 9.30 pm. Upon arrival, his pulse and blood pressure were unrecordable, and the ECG showed a flat line. We shifted him to the ICU, but despite extensive resuscitative efforts, he did not survive."

On Sunday, the Mumbai Police announced the arrest of another suspect in the murder case, 28-year-old Pravin Lonkar, in Pune, ANI stated. According to the police, Pravin is the brother of Shubham Lonkar, one of the conspirators involved in the plot, along with Dharmaraj Kashyap and Shivkumar Gautam.

The Esplanade Court in Mumbai has remanded Gurmail Singh, one of the accused in the shooting, to Crime Branch custody until 21 October. The court also ordered the second accused to be presented again after an ossification test, reported ANI.

Baba Siddique shot dead: CM pledges strict action

The incident has sent shockwaves through political and Bollywood circles.

Earlier on Saturday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited Lilavati Hospital to meet Baba Siddique's family. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, senior police officials, Union Minister and RPI(A) chief Ramdas Athawale, and Parth Pawar, son of Ajit Pawar, also visited the hospital.

Chief Minister Shinde pledged strict action against those responsible, stating that such disregard for the law would not be tolerated.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam described Siddique's death as a "personal loss," calling the incident "worrying and unfortunate," and praising Siddique as "a very good person."

The opposition has raised concerns about the state of law and order in Maharashtra. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the government, stating that the incident reflects a failure of law enforcement and intelligence. He remarked, "Despite knowing his life was at risk, the police failed to protect him. This is a significant lapse by the administration. In a city like Mumbai, the police must always be on high alert."

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut also criticised the government, saying, "The death of Baba Siddique, who served Maharashtra for so long, points to a failure on the part of the Chief Minister. Maharashtra has always been known for good law and order, which has attracted major industries to Mumbai."

Baba Siddique shot dead: Great loss for Mahayuti, says Athawale

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale called for strict punishment for those involved in the murder, describing Siddique's death as a "great loss for the Mahayuti alliance." He said, "Baba Siddique was a minority leader who also connected with the Dalit community. We never imagined something like this would happen. The murderers and those behind this must be brought to justice."

Siddique, who had been associated with the Congress for 35 years, joined the NCP eight months ago.

Bollywood celebrities also paid their last respects to Baba Siddique. On Sunday, actor Salman Khan visited Siddique's residence, accompanied by his brother Sohail Khan and sister Arpita Khan Sharma. Other actors, including Zareen Khan, Raj Kundra, and Zaheer Iqbal, also came to pay their final respects.

(With ANI inputs)