Bombay High Court Intervenes in Baba Siddique Murder Investigation
The Bombay High Court has taken significant action in the murder case of former minister and NCP leader Baba Siddique, directing the Maharashtra Government to respond to a plea filed by his widow, Shehzeen Siddique. She is seeking a court-monitored investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or an independent agency, alleging a flawed and abandoned police probe.
Widow Alleges Misleading Investigation and Builder Lobby Involvement
Shehzeen Siddique's petition presents serious allegations against the Bandra police, claiming the investigation was "misleading, left half-way and later abandoned" to protect the real culprits involved in her husband's murder. The plea asserts that the police failed to pursue crucial evidence pointing towards builders involved in redeveloping slum areas in Baba Siddique's former constituency.
According to the petition, the former MLA, who "safeguarded slum-dwellers' interests," was a major obstacle for builders interested in developing these areas. Shehzeen claims to possess vital evidence, including WhatsApp messages and recordings, which were ignored by the investigating officers. She also alleges that this angle was not examined due to the suspects' political links with Maharashtra's ruling party.
Court Grills Police Over Failure to Record Widow's Statement
A division bench of Justices Ajey S. Gadkari and Ranjitsinha R. Bhonsale directly questioned the investigation officer on why the police did not record the statement of the widow. The bench orally inquired whether the police contacted Shehzeen after her 40-day grieving period and if any attempts were made to record her statement later.
Special Public Prosecutor Mahesh Mule, representing the police, submitted that while the investigation team tried to contact Shehzeen, they could only reach her son, Zeeshan Siddique. Mule stated that Zeeshan would direct the police to deal with him or his people, often indicating that his mother was "unable to speak or not keeping well."
The court, however, expressed skepticism, questioning how it could believe this claim since there was no case diary entry or any statement by Zeeshan to that effect on the official record.
Background of the Case and Security Concerns
Baba Siddique, a former state minister and MLA, was shot dead by three assailants outside his son Zeeshan's office in Bandra (East) on October 12 last year. The chargesheet filed by the police names Anmol Bishnoi, brother of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, but Shehzeen's plea argues the investigation stopped there without probing the real masterminds.
Advocates for Shehzeen also raised a concerning development, informing the court that after the petition was filed, the security detail for Zeeshan and his family was reduced from Y+ level to merely two constables. Zeeshan was mentioned as the intended target in the police chargesheet.
The petition further references a threat message Siddique reportedly received from developer Prithvijeet Rajaram Chavan in July last year and notes that Zeeshan had named several builders in his police statement, including Mohit Kamboj and Ashok Mundra, yet no investigation was pursued from that angle.
The court has now sought a formal affidavit from the state in reply to Shehzeen Siddique's plea, bringing the demand for a transparent probe into the political spotlight.
