Mumbai, Oct 12: NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique died in hospital after being shot by three men in Mumbai's Bandra East area on Saturday night, officials said.
Two persons were arrested immediately after the incident that took place outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddiqui's office near Colgate ground in Nirmal Nagar, they added.
In a condolence message on X, deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar described the attack as extremely unfortunate and condemnable.
"I was shocked on learning that he died in this incident," Pawar said, adding that he had lost a good friend and colleague.
"We have lost a leader who fought for the minority community and championed secularism," he said, adding that a thorough probe would be conducted into the attack.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde earlier said Mumbai police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar had told him that two alleged shooters have been taken into custody.
One of them is from Uttar Pradesh and the other from Haryana, while a third accused fled from the spot, the CM told TV channels.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, arrived at Lilavati Hospital where Siddique was admitted.
Siddiqui, a three time-former MLA, had recently joined the NCP after quitting the Congress.
राष्ट्रवादी काँग्रेसचे नेते, माजी राज्यमंत्री, विधिमंडळात प्रदीर्घकाळ राहिलेले माझे सहकारी बाबा सिद्दीकी यांच्यावर झालेल्या गोळीबाराची घटना अत्यंत दुर्दैवी, निषेधार्ह आणि वेदनादायी आहे. या घटनेत त्यांचं निधन झाल्याचं समजून मला धक्का बसला. मी माझा चांगला सहकारी, मित्र गमावला आहे.…
— Ajit Pawar (@AjitPawarSpeaks) October 12, 2024
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Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday adjourned till December 10 the hearing on the plea seeking transfer of the investigation into the MUDA site allotment scam to the CBI. The plea was filed by activist Snehamayi Krishna doubting the credibility of Lokayukta investigation into the matter.
The petitioner told PTI that he approached the HC saying he has no faith in the Lokayukta police and hence the case should be handed over to the CBI.
In the MUDA case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by the MUDA.
The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where it developed a residential layout.
Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts. It is alleged that Parvathi had no legal title over this 3.16 acres of land at survey number 464 of Kasare village, Kasaba hobli of Mysuru taluk.
The Karnataka Lokayukta police and the Enforcement Directorate have launched an investigation into the 'scam'.
The CM has denied any wrongdoing in the alleged scam.