Only one constable was accompanying Maharashtra politician and former minister Baba Siddiqui when he was shot dead in Mumbai’s Bandra on Saturday by three persons who took cover of Dussehra fireworks to open fire, a police officer said on Monday.

Six rounds were fired on Siddiqui, two of which hit the 66-year-old in the chest, outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddiqui’s office in Nirmal Nagar between 9.15pm and 9.30pm. The Congress-turned-NCP (Ajit Pawar) leader, who police said was provided non-categorised security, was rushed to Lilavati Hospital where he was declared dead by doctors.

Non-categorised security, under which Siddiqui was given three constables, is provided in keeping with the individual’s threat perception, the officer added. Two constables on security duty were relieved in the evening and only one cop was with Siddiqui when he was leaving for Bandra West from his son’s office, the officer said.

An assistant inspector of Nirmal Nagar police station and some other personnel rushed to the spot and caught two of the alleged shooters and recovered two pistols and 29 live rounds from them, the officer said. A third shooter escaped.

All angles, including the possible involvement of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, are being probed, the officer said.

Not a minor

An ossification test of accused Dharmaraj Kashyap, one of those allegedly involved in the murder of Siddiqui, has revealed that he is not a minor, Mumbai police sources said on Monday.

Mumbai police had arrested Gurmail Baljit Singh, 23, a resident of Haryana, and Kashyap, 19, from Uttar Pradesh.

The accused were produced before the court by the crime branch, where Kashyap’s lawyer had claimed that he was a minor, an officer said.

The court ordered an ossification test of Kashyap on Sunday in which it was proved that he was not a minor, a police officer said. Kashyap was sent to police custody till October 21, he said.

Late on Sunday, the crime branch of Mumbai police arrested 28-year-old Pravin Lonkar, a “co-conspirator”, from Pune. Pravin and his brother Shubham Lonkar had allegedly hatched the conspiracy of killing Siddiqui and enlisted Kashyap and Shivkumar Gautam to carry out the job, the officer said.

‘Poor’ law & order

Opposition parties have slammed the BJP for the “breakdown of law and order” in Maharashtra.

Former chief minister Sharad Pawar called for the resignation of those responsible for the state of affairs. He posted on X: “The state’s collapsed law and order situation is a cause for concern….”

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote: “This horrifying incident exposes the complete collapse of law and order in Maharashtra. The government must take responsibility, and justice must prevail.”

Referring to news reports alleging gangster Bishnoi’s hand in Siddiqui’s killing just ahead of the Assembly polls in Maharashtra, AAP MP Sanjay Singh told reporters on Monday: “Bishnoi openly threatens individuals and orders their murder, but the police are powerless.”