NCP leader Baba Siddiqui murder: Key details about the attackers
Mumbai: Mumbai Police have arrested three suspects in connection with the murder of former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Baba Siddiqui. The suspects, Gurmail Baljit Singh (23) from Haryana, Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19) from Uttar Pradesh, and Pravin Lonkar (29) from Pune, are linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. This group has previously issued threats to Bollywood actor Salman Khan. Gurmail and Dharmaraj allegedly opened fire on Siddiqui during the attack.
The murder took place on Saturday when the assailants, taking advantage of the sound of firecrackers, shot at Siddiqui. He was immediately taken to Lilavati Hospital but later succumbed to his injuries.
According to police, the conspiracy was devised in Patiala jail with help from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, naming Mohammad Zeeshan Akhtar as a key conspirator. One of the suspects, Pravin Lonkar, was arrested after his brother, Shubham, posted on social media claiming responsibility for the murder, though he later deleted the post.
Police are still searching for other individuals involved, including Shivkumar Gautam, another shooter who remains absconding. Gurmail Singh has a criminal record, having been arrested in a previous murder case in 2019 but later released on bail. His family claims to have disowned him more than a decade ago.
Dharmaraj Kashyap's family expressed shock at his involvement, stating that he had left home two months ago to work at a scrapyard in Pune, and they had no knowledge of his activities since then.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
