India's NCP leader Baba Siddique shot dead in Mumbai

India's National Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique was shot dead by unidentified people in Mumbai on Saturday.

According to reports, three bullets were fired at Siddique on Saturday evening at the office of his son, Zeeshan Siddique, an MLA from Bandra East. Two suspects have been taken into custody.

The shooting took place during Dussehra and just months before the Maharashtra Assembly elections, which are expected later this year.

NCP spokesperson Brijmohan Shrivastav, expressing shock at the incident, stated that Siddique had not previously mentioned receiving any threats.

Siddique was elected as an MLA for Bandra West in 1999, 2004, and 2009, and served as a minister of state for food, civil supplies, labor, and the FDA from 2004 to 2008.

In addition to his political career, Siddique is known for hosting grand social events.

One notable event was an iftar party in 2013, where he helped reconcile a long-standing cold war between Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan.