Weeks ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, the murder of former minister and NCP leader Baba Siddique has sent shockwaves across the state, triggering a political firestorm and raising serious concerns about the law and order situation in the country’s commercial capital.

Sixty-six-year-old Siddique was shot at by three assailants when he was getting into his car outside his son’s office in Bandra. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

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Given the NCP leader’s close ties with actor Salman Khan, the police confirmed it is also probing this angle too.

“There were three people at the spot of incidence. Two have been caught and one is absconding… 15 teams of the Crime Branch are on the job. The angles of Lawrence Bishnoi, Salman Khan, or any other angle is being investigated,” stated DCP Crime Branch Datta Nalawade.

The Mumbai Police arrested two suspects on the spot and registered a case under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Arms Act, and the Maharashtra Police Act.

The two accused — Gurmail Singh and Dharmaraj Kashyap — were presented before a holiday court. The court has remanded Singh in police custody until October 21 and ordered age verification of Kashyap. An ossification test has also been ordered to determine whether he is a minor.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that the murder was meticulously planned, and further inquiries are being conducted to ascertain if the assailants intended to target any other individuals, especially with the Maharashtra polls approaching.

The police have also identified two more accused, namely, Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar and Shivkumar Gautam. They both are still at large, with police teams dispatched to multiple locations, including Haryana, Pune, Delhi, and Ujjain, to track them down.

The shooters were hired on a contract worth between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh. The police are investigating whether they received special training and are also probing who funded the operation, sources said.

According to the sources, the accused had been living in a rented apartment in Kurla for over a month before executing the crime.

The initial investigation has also revealed that the three shooters — Singh, Kashyap, and Gautam — previously met in jail, where they allegedly came in contact with a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in Haryana.

“Yesterday, between 9-9.30 pm, ex-state minister Baba Siddique was shot outside his sons’ office, under Nirmal Nagar police station. An offence has been registered and the investigation has been handed over to the Crime Branch. Two accused were detained on the spot… Two pistols and 28 rounds have been recovered… We have the custody of the accused till October 21. We are investigating the Lawrence Bishnoi gang’s role in the case…,” said

Meanwhile, the Opposition has mounted its attack on the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti alliance government and demanded it should be dismissed immediately.

Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey said, “Baba Siddique was not just a former minister, he was a beloved figure in Mumbai. The state government had provided him with security, and yet they failed to protect him,”

Amid the Opposition’s criticism, the chief minister has given instructions to bury Siddiqui with state honors. He also said that the murder trial will take place in a fast-track court, and handed the investigation of the killing to ‘encounter specialist’ Daya Nayak.

“Gang wars should not revive. Strict action should be taken against those who indulge in such incidents,” he said.