Baba Siddique, former Maharashtra minister and a leader of Ajit Pawar's NCP, was shot dead by three men in Mumbai on Saturday evening. The 66-year-old politician was shot in the stomach and chest. He was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital where he died of his injuries.

Two people, identified as Karnail Singh and Dharamraj Kashyap, have been arrested by the police in connection with the attack. During questioning, they claimed to be members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, police sources said. The two reportedly told investigators that they had been keeping tabs on Siddique's movements for the last month.

The incident occurred around 9.30 pm outside his son and Maharashtra MLA Zeeshan Siddique's office in Bandra East.

As Siddique was bursting firecrackers on the occasion of Dussehra, three men emerged from a vehicle, their faces covered with handkerchiefs. They opened fire with a 9.9 mm pistol, firing three rounds, one of which struck Siddiqui in the chest, causing him to collapse on the spot.

One of the bullets cracked the windshield of Baba Siddique's vehicle, confirming that multiple shots were fired. Police also recovered three bullet casings from the scene, according to another video that surfaced online.

Two people were later arrested: one is from Uttar Pradesh, and the other is from Haryana.

India Today has obtained an exclusive image of one of the two accused who was arrested at the scene. A third suspect is on the run, and efforts are underway to catch him.

A senior doctor at Lilavati Hospital said Siddique lost a lot of blood and all efforts to revive him failed. He was declared dead at 11:27 p.m. His body was later moved to Cooper Hospital for autopsy.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde promised strict action against those responsible for the attack on the NCP leader. "Two accused have been arrested, and one suspect is still at large. No one can take law and order into their own hands," Shinde said.

The Chief Minister said that he had directed Mumbai Police to ensure swift action.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar cancelled all his programmes scheduled for Sunday and is expected to return to Mumbai soon. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited Lilavati Hospital, where Siddique was taken after being shot.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar condoled Siddique's death. Pawar said he lost a "good colleague and a good friend".

"The incident will be thoroughly investigated, and strict action will be taken against the attackers. The mastermind behind the attack will also be traced. With the demise of Baba Siddique, we have lost a good leader who fought for the minority brothers and strived for pan-religious harmony," he said.