Maharashtra criminal act invoked against 26 accused in Baba Siddique murder case

The Mumbai Police on Saturday pulled up the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against all 26 accused in the murder of Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) leader Baba Siddique.
The crime branch has arrested 26 persons, including Shiv Kumar Gautam, the alleged main shooter, in connection with the murder investigation so far.
Siddique, 66, was shot dead on October 12 outside the Bandra East office of his son, Zeeshan Siddique. Three assailants fired at him, hitting him twice in the chest. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
A Mumbai Police official confirmed the use of the law but did not provide further details. Under MCOCA, confessions to the police are admissible as evidence in court, and obtaining bail is challenging.
Among those arrested is Anmol Bishnoi, the brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Anmol was detained in the United States for his alleged role in the murder and a firing incident outside actor Salman Khan’s Mumbai home.
Meanwhile, two key suspects, Shubham Lonkar and Zishan Mohammad Akhtar, remain at large. The investigation is ongoing.
The Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999, was enacted to address and manage criminal activities by organised crime syndicates or gangs.
The law applies across Maharashtra and came into effect on February 24, 2024.
Under the act, when a person commits an organised crime: