The second accused in the Baba Siddique murder case will undergo a bone ossification test to confirm his age. A court in Mumbai ordered this today, holding off his police custody for now. The young man, who was arrested from Uttar Pradesh, has claimed he is a minor, even though his Aadhaar says he is 19 years old.
Former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, 66, was shot dead outside his son Zeeshan Siddique's office in Mumbai's Bandra East last night.
The leader of the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party was 66 years old.
While the gang of Lawrence Bishnoi has claimed responsibility for the murder, the police said three shooters were involved. Two of them have been arrested — Gurmail Baljit Singh, 23, from Haryana and the alleged minor from Uttar Pradesh, the police said. The third accused has been identified as Shiv Kumar Gautam, also from UP, who is on the run. So is their handler, whose details have not been made public.
The murder has sparked a political slugfest ahead of the stae elections, with the Opposition Congress criticising the deterioration of law and order under the Eknath Shinde government.
"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," Congress's Rahul Gandhi posted on X, formerly Twitter.
"Justice must be ensured, and the present Maharashtra government must order a thorough and transparent investigation. The culprits must be brought to book at the earliest. Accountability is paramount," posted Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge.
