In Maharashtra, the back-to-back murders of two prominent leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party, Sachin Kurmi and Baba Siddique, have put Mumbai's law and order in the spotlight. The taluka president of Byculla and close ally of Chhagan Bhujbal, Sachin Kurmi was brutally murdered on October 5th by three assailants on a motorbike wielding sharp weapons. The attack occurred as Kurmi was heading home after attending a political event in Byculla East. The perpetrators struck him more than ten times on the head, hands, chest, and other parts of the body. The Mumbai Crime Branch has taken over the investigation of this case and has arrested three suspects.
The opposition was vocal against the ruling Mahayuti government over Sachin Kurmi's murder, demanding justice when the city was shaken by another leader's murder. On October 11th, prominent NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique was shot dead by three individuals in Mumbai's Bandra East. He was laid to rest with full state honors at the Bada Qabrastan in Mumbai on Sunday night. The police have identified six suspects in this case and promptly arrested two - Gurmel Baljeet Singh from Kaithal in Haryana and Dharmraj Rajesh Kashyap from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh.
The Mumbai Crime Branch presented these two in the Killa Magistrate Court on Sunday evening, where Dharmraj claimed to be a minor. The Magistrate Court granted a 7-day police remand for Gurmel until October 21st, while allowing a bone ossification test to ascertain Dharmraj's actual age. The police conducted this test on Sunday night, with results expected in a day or two. If Dharmraj is found to be an adult, the police will return to the Magistrate Court seeking custody or remand.
Shibu Lonkar and Pravin Lonkar Identified as Other Suspects
The third attacker, Shiv Kumar Gautam alias Shiva, also hails from Bahraich and is currently absconding. The DCP of Mumbai Crime Branch, Datta Nalawade, informed the press that all three attackers approached Baba Siddiqui's son Zeeshan Siddiqui's office with pepper spray. Their plan was to spray Siddiqui and then kill him, but Shiva fired prematurely. Nalawade confirmed that only Shiva fired the gun, while Dharmraj and Gurmel were present.
Source: aajtak
Meanwhile, the fourth suspect has been identified as Mohammad Jasin Akhtar from Patiala, Punjab, with a criminal background; he was released from Patiala Jail on June 7th. During his jail time, he came in contact with Lawrence Bishnoi's gang members. According to sources in the Mumbai Crime Branch, Jasin Akhtar supposedly provided logistical support for Siddique's murder. The other two suspects are Shibu Lonkar and his brother Pravin Lonkar. Shibu took responsibility for the murder in a Facebook post, claiming it was conducted by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Currently, he is at large.
10 Crime Branch Teams Hunting for Fugitive Suspects
The Mumbai Crime Branch revealed that Dharmraj Kashyap and Shiv Kumar Gautam worked in a scrap shop in Pune, located next to Pravin Lonkar's dairy. Pravin and Shibu Lonkar allegedly hired Shiv Kumar Gautam and Dharmraj Kashyap to execute the murder. Shibu Lonkar's Facebook post attributed the responsibility to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. DCP Datta Nalawade noted that ten teams have been formed to apprehend the fugitive suspects, with an additional 15 teams investigating in other states.
This high-profile murder in the nation's financial capital has raised substantial concerns over law and order. With the Maharashtra Assembly elections around the corner, the opposition has levied serious allegations against the ruling Mahayuti government and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The Mumbai police are investigating the murder from every possible angle, including contract killing, business rivalry, or disputes linked to slum redevelopment projects. Delhi Police's Special Cell has also dispatched a team to Mumbai to assist in the investigation.
Who Was Baba Siddique?
Baba Siddique was a former Cabinet Minister of Maharashtra and served as an MLA from the Bandra West seat for three consecutive terms in 1999, 2004, and 2009. His son, Zeeshan Siddique, is currently the MLA from the same constituency. At the age of 66, Siddique was an influential Muslim leader in Mumbai with notable connections in Bollywood. He had cordial relationships with film stars such as Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Sanjay Dutt. His Iftar party was one of the high-profile events in Mumbai, attended by significant figures from the film and political fields.
Years ago, Siddique played a crucial role in reconciling Salman and Shah Rukh Khan after a dispute at a club, bringing them together again at his Iftar party. Before Siddique’s murder, on April 14th, two shooters fired five rounds outside Salman Khan's Galaxy Apartment in Bandra. Assailants Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal were apprehended in Gujarat. The Mumbai police claimed in their charge sheet that the shooters had connections to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Salman Khan, who maintained a close relationship with Baba Siddique, has faced multiple threats from the Bishnoi gang.
Mumbai Police Under Scrutiny
These consecutive murders have cornered the Mahayuti government just before Maharashtra elections. Opposition parties, including Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP), and Congress, condemned the murders and criticized the Shinde government for the failure in maintaining law and order. Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole questioned the current government's competence, asserting, 'These murders signal the breakdown of the state's law enforcement machinery. If prominent political leaders are not safe, how can we ensure the safety of the common man?' The assassinations of Sachin Kurmi and Baba Siddique not only exposed the state's security gaps but also intensified scrutiny on Mumbai police.
