Baba Siddique's killers were paid Rs 50,000 in advance, received pistols few days ago, fired 4-5 rounds

The Mumbai Police believe that the murder of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique was a premeditated act. They have stated that the crime branch is investigating various angles, including the possibility of a contract killing, business rivalry, or threats linked to a slum rehabilitation project. Two of the alleged attackers have been arrested, while one remains at large, with efforts underway to apprehend him. The arrested suspects, identified as Gurmail Baljit Singh (23) from Haryana and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19) from Uttar Pradesh, were reportedly paid in advance for the murder and received firearms just days before the crime, according to The Times of India.

A report from News18, citing unnamed police sources, revealed that the accused received their weapons through a prepaid courier service and were paid ₹50,000. The trio had been staying in a rented room in Kurla since September 2, with a monthly rent of ₹14,000. The report also mentioned that the three accused met while in prison in Punjab. The Mumbai Police have sought the help of Uttar Pradesh police to track down the third suspect.

Baba Siddique, who switched allegiance from Congress to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP earlier this year after four decades in politics, had received a death threat just 15 days prior and was under 'Y' category security at the time of his murder.