Indian media quoted police sources as saying that three shooters were involved in the murder. Out of the three, two have been arrested - Gurmail Baljit Singh, 23, from Haryana and Dharamraj Kashyap, 19, from Uttar Pradesh - and the third has been identified as Shiv Kumar Gautam, also from UP. A fourth person, believed to be the handler, is also on the run.

The investigation revealed that two of the shooters, Dharamraj Kashyap and Shiv Kumar Gautam, hail from Uttar Pradesh s Bahraich. Both are neighbours and reportedly worked as labourers in Pune before being lured into the criminal underworld.

The suspects had been monitoring Mr Siddique for months, conducting reconnaissance of his residence and office, police said. The police revealed that the suspects had been paid Rs50,000 each in advance for the hit and that arms had been delivered to them only days before the assassination.

Baba Siddique was shot dead weeks before a key state election. The 66-year-old was a three-time legislator and former minister in Maharashtra state. The victim was shot multiple times outside the office of his son, also a legislator, in Mumbai on Saturday night, police said in a statement, according to Indian media and Al Jazeera.

He later succumbed to his wounds at the city’s Lilavati Hospital.

Siddique was associated with the main opposition Congress party for decades but had recently joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) – a regional party that governs Maharashtra in coalition with another regional group, the Shiv Sena, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Assembly elections in Maharashtra are expected to be held in November.

The shooting came weeks after Siddique’s security detail was upgraded when he reportedly received death threats.

News agency Press Trust of India reported that two suspected attackers had been arrested, and police were searching for another.

Broadcaster NDTV said 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.

Police officers and media stand at a crime scene where Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) politician Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai, India, October 13, 2024.

Siddique was also close to several Bollywood superstars and was known for throwing lavish parties.

Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who heads the NCP group that Siddique belonged to, said he was “shocked” by the killing.

“The incident will be thoroughly investigated and strict action will be taken against the attackers. The mastermind behind the attack will also be traced,” Pawar said in a statement on X.