A transfer of the investigation into the killing of former Congress MLA Baba Siddique was sought before the Bombay High Court by his widow, Shehzeen Ziauddin Siddique. The move was presented through advocate Trivankumar Karnani, and an “independent and impartial agency” was requested. It was alleged that political influence had been exerted over the existing inquiry and that crucial material had been withheld by the Mumbai Police. Listing of the matter was indicated as likely in the following week.
The homicide itself was recorded on October 12, 2024, when the 66-year-old leader was shot by three assailants outside the Bandra (East) office of his son, MLA Zeeshan Siddique. Responsibility for the crime was attributed by the police to gangster Anmol Bishnoi, brother of Lawrence Bishnoi; however, that attribution was challenged in the petition. It was asserted that arrests of the genuine conspirators had been avoided, and that a builder lobby and a political leader were suspected to be involved.
An angle linked to slum redevelopment in Siddique’s former constituency was said to have been neglected. It was stated that the deceased had opposed exploitation of slum residents and had been considered an obstacle by developers. According to the filing, persons identified by MLA Zeeshan Siddique were not examined, and the exercise was characterized as “digging a mountain to find a rat.” It was further stated that Shehzeen, described as a prime witness in possession of WhatsApp messages and recordings, had not been examined by investigators.
Prior threats and pleas for protection were placed on record. An “offensive and threatening message” dated July 15, 2024, and attributed to one Prithvijeet Rajaram Chavan, was cited. A request dated July 25 seeking restoration of police security was said to have been addressed to the Police Commissioner, while a parallel plea for Y+ protection was stated to have been sent by Zeeshan to then Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. An acknowledgment from the Commissioner’s office on the following day was referenced. Derogatory remarks allegedly made in August by one Ashok Mundra, said to be linked with businessman Mohit Kamboj, were also mentioned. It was stated that on July 29 a screenshot of the threat was shared by Siddique with his wife with a direction that it be saved “in case anything happens,” and that subsequent messages were sent by him.
A transfer of the probe to an independent agency or, in the alternative, to a court-monitored Special Investigation Team was requested. A status report from the police was also sought. Additionally, it was recorded that a June RTI request from the family regarding steps to secure Anmol Bishnoi’s presence had been refused. In August, it was conveyed to the family that an extradition request had been sent by the Ministry of External Affairs to authorities in the United States.