Indian politician shot dead in Mumbai

MUMBAI: A senior politician in India´s financial capital Mumbai was shot dead late on Saturday, weeks ahead of key state elections, with police probing the role of a notorious crime gang.

Baba Siddique, 66, a local lawmaker and former minister in Maharashtra state, was shot multiple times in the chest outside his son´s office in Mumbai, Indian media reported.

Maharashtra´s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, from the same party as Siddique, said he was “shocked” by the “cowardly attack”.

The Hindustan Times newspaper reported that two suspected attackers had been arrested, and police were searching for another.

Broadcaster NDTV said the two suspects claimed they were part of a gang run by Lawrence Bishnoi, who is in jail accused of running a crime gang that has carried out multiple killings.