Baba Siddique killing: Congress' Prithviraj Chavan slams Maharashtra govt, questions law and order situation

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 13 (ANI): Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan hit out at the Maharashtra government on Sunday over the law and order situation in the state following the killing of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique and called it a "serious matter".
"Is this an extortion murder? Did he get death threats or not? If yes, why was he not given proper security? This is a very serious matter. What kind of law and order is there in the state? Law and order have collapsed. I don't think that the government will take any responsibility," Prithviraj Chavan said.
Siddique, a leader in Ajit Pawar's faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and former Maharashtra minister, was shot at near Nirmal Nagar in Bandra. He later succumbed to his bullet injuries at Lilavati Hospital late Saturday night.

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar also questioned the law and order situation in Mumbai and stressed demand for resignation of Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis asking him to "take responsibility" for the incident.
"The shooters have been arrested, Police are investigating but today Mumbai, in public places, such gangsters and criminals are coming and opening fire. If a ruling party's leader can be shot dead, then the safety of common people has become a big question in Mumbai. Is Mumbai again becoming a crime hub? Is Maharashtra going in the direction of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, this fear is haunting us now...Home Minister should have resigned by now. The way the crime rates have increased in Maharashtra, he should take responsibility," Vijay Wadettiwar said.
Wadettiwar hit out at the state government and alleged that the law and order in the state has "collapsed."
"The government policies cannot be trusted. Law and order in the state has collapsed. The state Home Minister needs to be held accountable. The conspiracy behind this act will be uncovered after due investigation but it will take time," he said.
NCP-SCP leader Jitendra Awhad held the state government responsible for the incident.

"What was the security doing? What was the Police doing for the last 20 days? I don't blame the Mumbai Police but the Maharashtra government. The state is responsible. Police inspectors behave as if they have been brought in by political parties, not police," Awhad said earlier.
The Mumbai Crime Branch has registered a case at Nirmal Nagar Police Station in connection with the murder under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Arms Act and Maharashtra Police Act.
As per police, The police have arrested accused and the two accused have been identified as Gurmail Singh, a native of Haryana and Dharamraj Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh who were in Mumbai.
The case has been registered at Nirmal Nagar Police Station under Crime Registration No. 589/2024, Sections 103(1), 109, 125, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 3, 25, 5, and 27 of the Arms Act, and Section 37 and section 137 of the Maharashtra Police Act.
The Mumbai Crime Branch said that a total of six round of bullets were fired at Siddique, out of which three hit him. The police have identified the third and fourth accused in connection with the killing. The two accused are still absconding and a search for them is underway, they added.
As per the police, the Crime Branch recovered 28 live cartridges from the accused. The accused may also be associated with some international gang and the police have demanded a 14 day-custody of the accused, they said. (ANI)