AFP :
A senior politician in India’s financial capital Mumbai was shot dead on Saturday.
The incident comes just weeks before key state elections, with police probing the role of a notorious crime gang.
Baba Siddique, 66, a local lawmaker and former minister in Maharashtra state, was shot multiple times in the chest outside his son’s office in Mumbai.
Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, said that he was shocked by the cowardly attack.
The Hindustan Times newspaper reported that two suspected attackers had been arrested, and police were searching for another.
The two suspects claimed they were part of a gang run by Lawrence Bishnoi, who is in jail accused of running a crime gang that has carried out multiple killings.
The shooting comes just weeks after Siddique’s security detail was upgraded after he received death threats.
Ajit Pawar said: “The incident will be thoroughly investigated and strict action will be taken against the attackers,” Pawar said in a statement.
“The mastermind behind the attack will also be traced,” he added.
Siddique was close to several Bollywood stars and was known for throwing grand parties.
Opposition parties have criticised the government, saying there was a major lapse in security. The state government has promised a thorough inquiry.
Though two suspects have been taken into custody, the motive is not clear. Police are searching for a third suspect.
Some Indian media report the suspects have said they were from a gang run by notorious criminal Lawrence Bishnoi.
Bishnoi is currently serving a jail sentence for his involvement in several high-profile murder cases, including the killing of the Indian rapper Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022.
The shooting came weeks after Siddique’s security detail was upgraded following death threats.
