“Shocked and saddened”: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Baba Siddique’s ‘assassination’

New Delhi [India], October 13 (ANI): Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday expressed her grief over the killing of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique, and said her heart goes out to the family and loved ones of the NCP leader.

Siddique, a leader in Ajit Pawar’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was shot at near Nirmal Nagar in Bandra. He later succumbed to his bullet injuries at Lilavati Hospital late Saturday night.

“Shocked & saddened to hear about the assassination of Baba Siddique Sahab. Unsettling to know that this happened in broad daylight despite him having Y security. My heart goes out to his family & loved ones. May Allah Ta’Aala grant maghfirat to the departed soul,” Mufti said in a post on X.

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi also expressed his grief over the killing of the NCP leader.

Slamming the Maharashtra government over law and order, Rahul Gandhi wrote on X, “The tragic demise of Baba Siddique 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.”

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday announced that Siddique would be cremated with full state honours.

According to the Chief Minister Office (CMO), Siddique will be given full state honours as he served as minister in the Maharashtra government during 2004-2008 and also as chairman of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA).

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Crime Branch has registered a case at Nirmal Nagar Police Station in connection with the murder under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Arms Act and Maharashtra Police Act.

The case has been registered at Nirmal Nagar Police Station under Crime Registration No. 589/2024, Sections 103(1), 109, 125, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 3, 25, 5, and 27 of the Arms Act, and Section 37 and section 137 of the Maharashtra Police Act.

Delhi police will also send a special investigation team to Mumbai to investigate the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddiqui in Mumbai, according to the Delhi Police Special Cell sources.

It is believed that a suspected gangster’s motive behind the murder of Baba Siddiqui was to establish his influence in Mumbai, the sources added.

The police have also revealed the identities of two arrested accused and made some shocking revelations about their planning. The two accused have been identified as Gurmail Singh, a native of Haryana and Dharamraj Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh.

According to the police, the accused were in Mumbai for some time and were keeping a close eye on Siddiqui.

The police also mentioned that the accused had done recce of Baba Siddiqui’s house and office premises and were in Mumbai for one and a half to two months and were keeping an eye on him.