HC denies bail to UP bizman arrested in Baba Siddique murder case

Siddique, 66, a former Maharashtra minister, was shot dead on October 12, 2024, in Bandra East. The attack took place around 9.30 pm as he stepped out of his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office after meeting party workers ahead of the Assembly elections. Three bullets struck him, while two hit his vehicle and one injured a passerby

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Friday rejected the bail plea of a businessman from Uttar Pradesh arrested in 2014 for his alleged role in the murder of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ziauddin Abdul Rahim, also known as Baba Siddique.

Baba Siddique was shot dead in October 2024. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

A single-judge bench of justice R.M. Joshi rejected the plea of Akhilendra Pratap Singh, who was arrested in November 2014, observing that the seriousness of the charges did not warrant relief at this stage.

Siddique, 66, a former Maharashtra minister, was shot dead on October 12, 2024, in Bandra East. The attack took place around 9.30 pm as he stepped out of his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office after meeting party workers ahead of the Assembly elections. Three bullets struck him, while two hit his vehicle and one injured a passerby.

Police later identified the shooters as Gurmel Baljit Singh and Shivkumar Gautam, allegedly linked to the gang led by Lawrence Bishnoi and and his brother Anmol Bishnoi. So far, 26 accused have been arrested in the case, while three remain absconding.

The prosecution said Singh was among those who provided logistical support to the assailants. He, along with three others, was arrested for allegedly harbouring Gautam in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, near the Indo-Nepal border. The accused has been booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 for murder, criminal conspiracy and related offences, the Arms Act for possession of prohibited weapons, and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 for organised crime.

Opposing the bail plea, the State and Siddique’s family, who appeared as interveners through senior advocate Pradeep Gharat and advocate Trivankumar Karnani, argued that the accused played a key role in aiding the perpetrators. The defence, however, claimed there was no substantive evidence and alleged misuse of police powers.

However, the court declined to grant relief, noting the serious nature of the allegations and the stage of the investigation.