On the night of October 12, Baba Siddique, a leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, was shot dead by three attackers near his son Zeeshan’s office in Bandra, Mumbai.
He was taken to Lilavati Hospital at 9:30 PM but was pronounced dead around 11:27 PM. Bollywood star Salman Khan, who was a close childhood friend of Siddique, is reportedly devastated by the news.
According to India Today sources the actor has been unable to sleep since returning home to Galaxy Apartments after he visited the hospital. The Dabangg actor has been regularly reaching out to Zeeshan and his family.
A source said, "Bhai has been on the phone checking on the funeral arrangements and every other detail. He has cancelled all his personal meetings for the next few days as well."
Salman's family is also grieving Baba Siddique's death. Arbaaz and Sohail were close to him and frequently attended his Iftaar parties. Baba Siddique was more like family to Salman than just a friend. The actor always welcomed Baba and his son Zeeshan into his home with great love and warmth.
A report from News18, citing unnamed police sources, revealed that the accused received their weapons through a prepaid courier service and were paid ₹50,000. The trio had been staying in a rented room in Kurla since September 2, with a monthly rent of ₹14,000.
The report also mentioned that the three accused met while in prison in Punjab. The Mumbai Police have sought the help of Uttar Pradesh police to track down the third suspect.
Baba Siddique, who changed his political allegiance from Congress to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP earlier this year after four decades in politics, had received a death threat just 15 days before his murder and was under 'Y' category security at the time.
