Indian politician known for his close ties with Bollywood killed weeks before a key election in Mumbai

Baba Siddique, 66, was shot multiple times outside his son’s office in Mumbai on Saturday night, police said in a statement

A senior politician in India’s financial capital, Mumbai, who was also known for his close ties with Bollywood has been shot dead weeks before a key state election.

Baba Siddique, 66, was shot multiple times outside his son’s office in Mumbai on Saturday night, police said in a statement. He later succumbed to his wounds at the city’s Lilavati Hospital.

Baba Siddique
Marks made by a forensic team of the Mumbai police are visible on the spot where Baba Siddique, a senior politician, was shot at outside his son’s office in Mumbai and later succumbed to his wounds in a hospital on Saturday night, in Mumbai, India, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024.Photo by Rafiq Maqbool /THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Siddique was associated with the Indian National Congress party for decades but had recently joined a regional party that rules Maharashtra state. He was also close to several Bollywood superstars and was known for throwing lavish parties.

Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who is from the same political party as Siddique, said he was shocked by the killing.

Baba Siddique
Bollywood actor Salman Khan (front C) leaves after paying his last respect to the assasinated Indian politician and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique, in Mumbai on October 13, 2024.Photo by – /AFP via Getty Images

“The incident will be thoroughly investigated and strict action will be taken against the attackers. The mastermind behind the attack will also be traced,” Pawar said in a statement.

News agency Press Trust of India reported that two suspected attackers had been arrested, and police were searching for another.

Broadcaster NDTV said the two suspects claimed they were part of a crime gang that has carried out multiple killings in the past.

Baba Siddique
Mumbai police personnel stand guard outside the residence of Baba Siddique, a senior politician, who was shot at outside his son’s office in Mumbai and later succumbed to his wounds in a hospital on Saturday night, in Mumbai, India, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024.Photo by Rafiq Maqbool /THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Elections in Maharashtra state are expected to be held in November.

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