My father lost his life protecting lives, homes of poor people: Zeeshan Siddique

Zeeshan, who is the sitting Congress MLA from the Vandre (east) constituency, posted a message on his X handle stating, “My father lost his life protecting and saving the lives and homes of poor innocent people. Today, my family is broken but his death must not be politicised and definitely not go in vain. I NEED JUSTICE, MY FAMILY NEEDS JUSTICE!”

Baba Siddique, who recently joined the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party, was shot dead outside Zeeshan’s office on Saturday by three people. The police strongly suspect involvement of the Lawrecne Bishnoi gang behind the murder. Soon after the murder, a message was posted on a Facebook page of suspected Bishnoi gang member Shubham Lonkar indicating that the former minister was killed because of his close friendship with Salman Khan. The actor is being targeted by the crime syndicate because of his alleged involvement in the killing of a blackbuck in 1998. The animal is considered sacred by the Bishnoi community.

However, the police have said that they are investigating other angles also including a slum rehabilitation project dispute, personal animosity etc.

Zeeshan visited the Mumbai commissionerate on Thursday afternoon. Speaking to the media outside the commissioner’s office, he said, “I will answer all questions. But right now I am not in the right frame of mind. Also, the police investigation is on.”

The police have so far arrested four people in the case including Gurmail Baljit Singh (23) and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19), who were two of the three assailants. The police have also arrested Pravin (28), brother of Shubham Lonkar and Harishkumar Nisad (23) as alleged conspirators. The third attacker Shivkumar Gautam, Shubham Lonkar and Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar are still at large.

Meanwhile, Navi Mumbai police have arrested Sukha alias Sukhbir Balbir Singh, a suspected gang member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in connection with the plot to attack Salman Khan at his farmhouse. The police claimed that the Bishnoi gang had given out Rs 25 lakh contract to kill the actor and sourced weapons such as AK-47s, M16s and AK92s from Pakistan to execute their plot.

In April this year, suspected members of the Bishnoi gang had opened fire outside Salman Khan’s Bandra residence. While investigating the shootout, the police in June claimed to have unearthed a conspiracy to kill the actor at his Panvel farmhouse.

According to the police, the Bishnoi gang had deployed 60-70 people to monitor Salman’s movements at his residence, farmhouse and film shooting locations. They decided to use automatic weapons to breach the actor’s tight security.