In a major development in the Baba Siddique murder case, the Mumbai Police has invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime (MCOCA) Act against the accused individuals.
This move highlights the seriousness of the crime and is a step towards ensuring a swift and thorough investigation.
The case has already seen the arrest of 26 individuals, including Shiv Kumar Gautam, who is believed to be the main shooter involved in the murder.
The MCOCA provisions are being applied, which indicates the involvement of organised crime in the incident, though police have refrained from providing further details on the specifics of the charges.
The invocation of MCOCA is significant for several reasons. Under this law, confessions made to the police are admissible as evidence in court, making it a powerful tool in securing convictions. Additionally, it becomes extremely difficult for the accused to secure bail, as MCOCA deals with organised crime and its associates.
Baba Siddique, a former Maharashtra minister and prominent leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was tragically shot dead on October 12.
The attack took place outside the office of his son, Zeeshan Siddique, who is an MLA, in Bandra East, Mumbai. The assailants, three in total, shot Siddique twice in the chest. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
In a related development, Anmol Bishnoi, the brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, was arrested in the United States. He is believed to have been involved in the murder of Baba Siddique and also in the shooting outside Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s residence.
Despite the arrests, some key suspects remain at large. Shubham Lonkar and Zishan Mohammad Akhtar, who are thought to be among the main conspirators in the case, are still on the run, with the police intensifying efforts to capture them.
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