(MENAFN- Live Mint) Slain NCP leader Baba Siddique to be cremated with full state honours, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced on Sunday. Siddique (66) was killed by three individuals at Kher Nagar in Mumbai's Bandra area, just outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique 's office.
Siddique will be given full state honours as he served as a minister in the Maharashtra government during 2004-2008. He was also as chairman of Maharashtra housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA).
Siddique, a three-time MLA from Bandra West, had joined Ajit Pawar 's NCP earlier in February this year after resigning from the Congress.
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In view of the killing, the NCP cancelled all its programmes scheduled for Sunday. "Keeping in view the tragic death of our party colleague Baba Siddique, all party programs for 13th October, i.e. Sunday stand cancelled," the party said in a post on X.
'Pre-planned act'
Earlier today, a Mumbai police official said Baba Siddique's murder is believed to be a pre-planned act.
The police indicated that the crime branch is investigating the case from various angles, including the possibility of contract killing, business rivalry, or threats related to a slum rehabilitation project.
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The case has been registered at Nirmal Nagar Police Station under Crime Registration No. 589/2024, Sections 103(1), 109, 125, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 3, 25, 5, and 27 of the Arms Act, and Section 37 and section 137 of the Maharashtra Police Act.
Citing sources, news agency ANI said, Delhi police will also send a special investigation team to Mumbai to investigate the murder.
While two alleged accused have been arrested, one remains at large, and efforts are underway to locate him.
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The arrested individuals have been identified as Gurmail Baljit Singh (23) from Haryana and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19) from Uttar Pradesh.
According to the police, the accused were in Mumbai for some time and were keeping a close eye on Siddique.
The police also mentioned that the accused had done recce of Baba Siddiqui's house and office premises and were in Mumbai for one and a half to two months and were keeping an eye on him.
"The search for the third accused is on and several teams of the Mumbai Crime Branch are investigating this case," the police mentioned.
(With ANI inputs)
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