Former MLA Zeeshan Siddique has named several builders and politicians in his statement to the police, urging them to investigate issues surrounding slum redevelopment projects in Mumbai’s Bandra during the probe into the murder of his father, NCP leader Baba Siddique.
Baba Siddique, a former state minister, was shot dead by three assailants on October 12, 2024, outside his son’s office in Bandra East. Zeeshan, in his statement, alleged that his father often faced pressure and threats from developers regarding redevelopment projects in the area.
The statement, included in a 4,500-page chargesheet filed before a special MCOCA court, mentions that Baba Siddique had been in contact with various developers, including BJP worker Mohit Kambhoj, who reportedly reached out to him via WhatsApp on the day of the murder to discuss a project by Mundra Builders.
Zeeshan also revealed that a developer had once used abusive language against his father during a meeting about an SRA redevelopment project. He called for a detailed investigation into all individuals linked to such incidents.
“My father and I were continuously fighting for the rights of slum dwellers in Bandra, and a false case was once registered against me for objecting to a redevelopment project,” Zeeshan stated. He added that his father habitually documented his daily work in a diary, which could provide crucial leads.
The chargesheet names 26 arrested individuals, all booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), while three accused — Shubham Lonkar, Yasin Akhtar, and Anmol Bishnoi — remain wanted.
As the investigation unfolds, Zeeshan Siddique’s allegations have put the spotlight on the nexus between developers and political interests in Mumbai’s contentious redevelopment projects.