Mumbai: On October 12, 2024, former Maharashtra minister and senior NCP leader Baba Siddique was tragically shot dead outside his son Zeeshan Siddique's office in Khernagar, Bandra East. In connection with the case, Gurmail Baljit Singh (24) and another accused were arrested, and both were produced in court on October 13.
During the hearing, Judge Suyojit Tayade remanded Gurmail Singh to police custody until October 21. However, the second accused claimed to be 17 years old, prompting the judge to order the Crime Branch to produce relevant documents to verify his age.
According to the police, three assailants were involved in the attack, with six rounds fired at Siddique, hitting him multiple times. "Three bullets pierced Baba Siddique's body," they confirmed. Shivkumar Gautam (24) and Mohammad Zishan Akhtar are two wanted suspects in the case. The police have informed that 15 Crime Branch teams are searching outside Mumbai for the two fugitives.
The Crime Branch has seized two pistols with magazines, 28 live cartridges, an additional magazine, four mobile phones, two Aadhaar cards, and a blue-colored sack during the investigation.
Public prosecutor Gautam Gaikwad argued in court that the crime is of a very serious nature, as the accused fired firearms at former Maharashtra State Minister Baba Siddique, leading to his death. He emphasized that police custody is necessary for a thorough investigation, as the crime appears to have been committed in conspiracy. A deeper probe is needed to determine if others were involved in the plot.
Gaikwad added, "The accused used firearms in the commission of the crime, firing indiscriminately at the victim. It is essential to investigate the source of the firearms and who supplied them."
The prosecutor further noted that the accused, who indiscriminately fired at the scene, likely received training in handling firearms. Investigating their training and the motive behind Baba Siddique's murder is critical, as Siddique was a former minister. He added that both suspects are from outside Maharashtra and had been residing in Pune and Mumbai in recent days, raising questions about possible local assistance. The two accused had two mobile phones each, and it is important to examine them in their presence.
During the court proceedings, the second accused claimed to be older than his documented age of 17 years. Public prosecutor Gaikwad argued that he is actually 19 years old. The police presented an Aadhaar card indicating his date of birth as March 1, 2003, confirming that he is 21 years old. As a result, the court did not remand him to police custody but instead directed the police to present additional documentation to confirm his age and suggested conducting an ossification test.
The accused's lawyer, Adv. Siddhartha Agarwal, expressed readiness for the ossification test to further determine the accused's actual age.
