<p>Mumbai, Oct 18 (PTI) Five more persons were held on Friday in connection with the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique, taking the total number of arrests in the sensational case to nine, a Mumbai police official said.</p>
<p>Based on specific information, raids were carried out by the Crime Branch in Panvel and Karjat in neighbouring Raigad district, leading to the arrest of these five persons for conspiracy related to the crime and its execution, he said.</p>
<p>The arrested persons were also in touch with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which is accused of gunning down Siddique, the official added.</p>
<p>”The total number of arrests in the case now stands at nine. Further probe is underway,” he added.</p>
<p>Siddique was shot at and grievously injured on October 12 near his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Nirmal Nagar in Mumbai’s Bandra area. The Congress-turned-NCP leader died some time later in nearby Lilavati Hospital.</p>
<p>The four persons arrested earlier include two alleged shooters who were overpowered by police and passersby at the spot itself.</p>
<h3><strong>Baba Siddique killing: Don’t politicise issue, family needs justice, says MLA son </strong></h3>
<p>Congress MLA Zeeshan Siddique on Thursday said the killing of his father and NCP leader Baba Siddique should not be politicised and asserted his family needs justice.</p>
<p>Baba Siddique (66) was shot at in Nirmal Nagar in Mumbai’s Bandra area on October 12 by three persons. He succumbed to injuries at nearby Lilavati Hospital soon after.</p>
<p>In a post on X, Zeeshan Siddique said his father lost his life protecting and saving the lives and homes of poor innocent people.</p>
<p>”Today, my family is broken but his death must not be politicised and definitely not go in vain. I NEED JUSTICE, MY FAMILY NEEDS JUSTICE!” the Bandra East MLA said in his social media post.</p>
<p>Baba Siddique, a former state minister, had joined the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party from the Congress recently.</p>
<p><em><strong>(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)</strong></em></p>