A senior politician in India’s financial capital, Mumbai, who was also known for his close ties to Bollywood, was shot dead weeks before a key state election.
Baba Siddique, 66, was shot several times outside his son’s office in Mumbai on Saturday night, police said. He died of his injuries at the city’s Lilavati Hospital.
Siddique was associated with the Indian National Congress party for decades, but had recently joined a regional party that governs the state of Maharashtra.
He was also close to several Bollywood stars and was known for hosting lavish parties.
The Press Trust of India news agency reported that two suspected attackers had been arrested and police were searching for another.
Baba Siddique, 66 (pictured), was shot several times outside his son’s office in Mumbai on Saturday night.
The Press Trust of India news agency reported that two suspected attackers had been arrested.
Police are still searching for a third attacker
Two of the attackers were identified locally as Gurmail Baljit Singh, 23, a resident of Haryana, and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap, 19, a native of Uttar Pradesh.
Broadcaster NDTV said the two suspects claimed they were part of a criminal gang led by Lawrence Bishnoi, who is in prison accused of running a criminal gang that has carried out multiple murders.
The shooting comes just weeks after Siddique’s security detail was upgraded after he received death threats, and ahead of elections scheduled for later this year.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, from the same party as Siddique, said he was “shocked” by the “cowardly attack”.
“The incident will be thoroughly investigated and strict action will be taken against the attackers,” Pawar said in a statement. “The mastermind of the attack will also be located.”
Several Bollywood actors close to Siddique also expressed their grief after his death.
Actor Riteish Deshmukh said on X: ‘My heart goes out to @zeeshan_iyc and the entire family. May God give you strength to face this difficult moment. “The perpetrators of this horrible crime must be brought to justice.”