A chilling incident unfolded on Saturday night in Mumbai when former Maharashtra Minister Baba Siddique was shot dead. Three men armed with pepper spray and chilli powder carried out the attack, targeting the politician during a Durga Visarjan procession. The shooters, identified as Gurmail Baljit Singh (23) and Dharmaraj Kashyap (19), were apprehended by the Mumbai Police. The third assailant, Shiv Kumar Gautam, remains at large.
According to police investigations, the assailants initially planned to use pepper spray before opening fire on Siddique. However, Gautam reportedly defied the plan and fired directly at the former minister. The incident took place amidst the commotion of the procession, creating a chaotic scene.
The shooters’ plan was to take advantage of the Dussehra celebrations and the presence of fireworks, but the crowd and security measures around Siddique forced a change in their approach. Gautam reportedly fired six shots at Siddique before the trio threw chilli powder at a police constable, creating further chaos and enabling their escape.
Singh and Kashyap were eventually caught by the police, while Gautam managed to disappear into the crowd. Initial reports mistakenly identified the assailants as mobile thieves, as they ran through the Durga Puja procession after the shooting.
DCP Crime Branch Datta Nalawade confirmed that Siddique was shot outside his son’s office around 9:30 pm. Despite not having categorized security, Siddique was assigned three security personnel from the Mumbai Police. However, they were unable to prevent the attack.
The Mumbai Police recovered two pistols and 28 rounds from the accused. A case has been registered at the Nirmal Nagar Police Station, and authorities are investigating a possible link to Lawrence Bishnoi, a notorious gangster. The investigation into this tragic incident is ongoing, and authorities are determined to apprehend all those involved.
