Last rites of Baba Siddique performed with state honours in Mumbai

Last rites of former Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Siddique was performed with full state honours in Mumbai at Bada Qabrastan with full state honours on Sunday. He was murdered in Mumbai on Saturday.

NCP leaders including, Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal and Ajit Pawar were present at the Bada Qabrastan during the last rites of Baba Siddique.

The NCP leader and former Maharashtra Minister Siddique was murdered after being shot at outside his office in Nirmal Nagar.

He sustained two gunshot wounds to his chest before being brought to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital for emergency treatment, where he succumbed to death on Saturday night.

After being shot, Baba Siddique was admitted around 9.30 pm on Saturday and, despite extensive resuscitative efforts, succumbed to his injuries shortly.

Dr Jalil Parkar, a physician at Lilavati Hospital, said, "Around 9.30 pm, Baba Siddique was brought here. When he arrived in the emergency room, his pulse and blood pressure were unrecordable, and the ECG showed a flat line. We shifted him to the ICU."

Another accused in NCP leader Baba Siddique murder case has been arrested in Pune, said Mumbai police on Sunday.

According to the police, the arrested person, who is 28-year-old has been identified as Pravin Lonkar.

According to the police, Pravin Lonkar is the brother of Shubham Lonkar. Lonkaris is one of the conspirators who, along with Shubham Lonkar, enlisted Dharmaraj Kashyap and Shivkumar Gautam in the plot, Mumbai police said.

Esplanade court in Mumbai sent Gurmail Singh, accused in the Baba Siddique firing case to Mumbai Crime Branch custody till 21 October on Sunday.Esplanade court has also directed to present the second accused again after conducting his ossification test.

The incident has sent shockwaves through political and Bollywood circles.

Earlier on Saturday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met the family of NCP leader Baba Siddique at Lilavati hospital where Siddique was admitted before passing away.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Ministers, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, along with senior police officials, Union minister and Republican Party of India-Athawale chief Ramdas Athawale, and Parth Pawar, son of Ajit Pawar, also visited Lilavati Hospital.

CM Shinde vowed strict action against those responsible for taking the law into their own hands following the killing of Baba Siddique.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam dubbed it a "personal loss" on Sunday after Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai.

Speaking to ANI, Sanjay Nirupam said that the incident "is worrying and unfortunate" adding that Baba Siddique "was a very good person."

The opposition parties raised question on state of law and order in Maharashtra.

Slamming the Maharashtra government over killing of NCP leader Baba Siddique, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said that this is the failure of law and order.

Kharge said, "We openly said that the law and order situation is not fine there, even though he said that his life was in danger, Police didn't protect him, this is such a big lapse from administration's side. Police should always be on alert in a big city like Mumbai. This is the failure of law and order and intelligence. If government doesn't take care of such things that means they are neglecting (such incidents)."

Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sanjay Raut hit out at the Maharashtra government over the killing of Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Siddique, and said the case points towards the failure of the Chief Minister.

Speaking to ANI, Raut said "The death of Baba Siddique who has worked for so long in Maharashtra points towards the failure of the Chief Minister of the state. In Maharashtra, there has always been a good law and order situation. That is why big industries have come to Mumbai."

Athawale on Sunday called for strict punishment of the accused involved in the Baba Siddique murder case, saying that this is a 'great' loss for Mahayuti alliance.

Speaking to ANI, the RPI-A chief and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said, "Baba Siddique was a minority leader, but he was also attracted to the Dalit community. We had been friends for many years... We had never imagined something like this would happen. The murderers should be punished and those behind this should also be arrested... This is a great loss for Mahayuti."

Siddique, after being associated with Congress for the last 35 years joined NCP eight months ago.

Bollywood stars also paid their last respects to Baba Siddique.

On Sunday, actor Salman Khan arrived at the residence of NCP leader Baba Siddique.

Salman's brother Sohail Khan, along with his sister Arpita Khan Sharma, also visited the residence to pay their respects.

In a show of solidarity, actors Zareen Khan, Raj Kundra, and Zaheer Iqbal, among others arrived at Siddique's residence to pay their final respects.