In this photograph taken on July 2013, then Congress leader Baba Siddique is flanked by actors Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan at an Iftar party in Mumbai.
| Photo Credit: PTI

This story has all the elements of a crime thriller. Former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique (66) was killed in Mumbai’s Bandra East on Saturday evening. He was shot outside his son and Bandra East MLA Zeeshan Siddique’s office. A day later, a gangster jailed in Gujarat for multiple cases, Lawrence Bishnoi, claimed to have killed Baba. Reason? Baba’s proximity to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan.

Four people have been arrested by the Mumbai police. But the motive behind the murder remains a mystery, sparking some astonishing theories. If one thing is clear, it is that Baba’s gruesome murder is reminiscent of crimes in Mumbai of the 1990’s.

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Baba Siddiqui was the MLA of Bandra West, Mumbai’s posh western suburb. This is where the biggest Bollywood stars, including Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan live. Baba entered politics in the late 1970s under the mentorship of Bollywood legend and politician Sunil Dutt. Baba was the MLA of Bandra East for 15 years, and was a State Minister for Food and Drug Administration between 2004 to 2008.

Bandra West is part of the Lok Sabha constituency that Sunil Dutt—a respected name in Bollywood as well as in politics—and his daughter Priya Dutt represented in 2004 and 2009. Sunil’s son, also a Bollywood superstar, Sanjay Dutt has been Baba’s close friend. When there were rumours of rivalry between Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, it was Baba’s Iftar party where both the Khans met and reconciled. Such was the aura of Baba Siddique in Bollywood.

Bishnoi’s claim is based on this proximity. Bishnoi, a gangster, the story goes, wants to kill Salman Khan, because he believes that Salman is guilty in the blackbuck hunting case of 1998. The Bishnoi community of Rajasthan respects the blackbuck as a deity. Lawrence Bishnoi is from Punjab. Lawrence reportedly said that those are friends with Salman Khan will meet with the same fate.

Lawrence’s attempts to target Salman are not new. On April 14, 2024, gunshots were heard near Salman Khan’s apartment in Bandra West. A Bishnoi group claimed responsibility. The Mumbai police arrested Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal from Bhuj, Gujarat, for this shooting. They reportedly told police that they had been ordered to fire 10 rounds aimed at Galaxy apartment, where Salman Khan lives. In 2018, the Bishnoi gang had conducted recce of Salman’s house .

This is where the Bishnoi story turns bizarre. And if true, it exposes the poor governance, law and order in Maharashtra, Gujarat and the country as a whole. Bishnoi is now in Sabarmati jail, Gujarat, booked for 12 different cases. Some of his alleged crimes are being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). If Bishnoi was able to execute his plan in Mumbai, it reflects the gross failure of the Gujarat jail administration, the Maharashtra police as well as the NIA. As per reports, Baba’s killers stayed in Kurla, adjoining to Bandra, for many weeks. They rented a house and watched Baba’s movements. Mumbai’s financial hub, Bandra Kurla Complex, falls within Bandra East, the constituency Baba’s son Zeeshan won in 2019 on a Congress ticket.

One of the theories on the motive behind Baba’s killing points to a real estate feud. Historically, Mumbai’s real estate sector was marred by violent conflicts involving underworld gangs and contract killings. However, this narrative changed around 2005. As the city’s middle and upper-middle classes grew, the real estate market saw substantial financial growth, leading to a gradual decrease in sector conflicts.

Reports in the local media suggest that Baba was possibly involved in a dubious slum rehabilitation project in Mumbai. There was a strong claim by another real estate giant on the same slum. Baba was thoroughly opposing this and so he was allegedly killed in this conflict.

But could Baba, with his stature, be killed for a mere friendship with a superstar, or over a real estate tussle? This is not today’s Mumbai. So the big question remains unanswered.

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In February this year, Baba switched from the Congress to join Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a part of NDA. There was a buzz that by joining NCP, Baba ‘earned ‘impunity’ against the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax. Baba’s switch was a shock for the Mumbai Congress. This move also served as a political message for Muslims. As Muslims hesitated to vote for the BJP, they now had a choice within NDA.

Clearly, Baba’s murder has come as big blow to Maharashtra’s ruling alliance. The opposition is now using the law and order situation as an issue for the upcoming Assembly elections. NCP chief and veteran politician Sharad Pawar stated, “This government has lost the moral right to remain in power. They should step down immediately. Baba Siddiqui’s murder serves as a warning that the ruling parties are incapable of maintaining law and order in the State.”

Mumbai’s real estate and Bollywood industries are worth millions of crores of rupees. With the murder occurring less than five kilometers from India’s financial hub, BKC, identifying the killers and their mastermind is crucial for preserving ‘Brand Mumbai’. Baba’s killing cannot push Mumbai back into the violent 1990’s.