Mastermind of Indian politician Baba Siddique's murder arrested in Canada

In a major breakthrough in the high-profile assassination of veteran politician Baba Siddique, Canadian authorities have detained the alleged mastermind, Mohammad Zeeshan Akhtar, also known as Jassi Purewal. His arrest marks a significant development in a case that has rocked Maharashtra’s political and crime landscape for over eight months.

Baba Ziauddin Siddique, commonly known as Baba Siddique, was a political leader from Mumbai. He served as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Bandra West for three consecutive terms and held ministerial portfolios, including Minister of State for Food & Civil Supplies and Labour. Siddique was also the former chairman of MHADA.

In early 2024, after decades in the Congress, he switched allegiance to the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). His assassination on October 12, 2024, outside his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Bandra sent shockwaves through the political corridors of Maharashtra.

Initial investigations revealed that the murder was not random but a well-orchestrated hit, allegedly executed on the orders of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, one of India’s most notorious organised crime syndicates. Three shooters — Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap, Gurmail Baljit Singh, and Shivkumar Gautam — were directly involved. Two of them were captured at the scene, while one remains absconding.

The suspected motive for the murder is said to be linked to Baba Siddique’s close association with Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, who has been on the radar of the Bishnoi gang for years over previous disputes.

But behind the shooters stood a shadowy mastermind — Mohammad Zeeshan Akhtar.

Mohammad Zeeshan Akhtar, also known by the alias Jassi Purewal, hails from Jalandhar, Punjab. He is believed to have developed close links with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang during his incarceration in Patiala jail in 2022.

After his release in early 2024, Akhtar allegedly took on the role of coordinating the Siddique hit. He is accused of arranging hideouts for the shooters in Mumbai, managing communications, and channelling funds through multiple bank accounts. Reports indicate that Akhtar also received help from international crime networks, notably Pakistani national Shehzad Bhatti, in acquiring forged travel documents to flee India.

Following months of investigation and international coordination, Akhtar was finally detained by Canadian authorities in Surrey, British Columbia, between June 6 and 10, 2025. Indian investigative agencies, including Mumbai’s Crime Branch, are awaiting formal confirmation from Canadian officials and are expected to initiate extradition proceedings soon.

Akhtar’s arrest is seen as a pivotal moment in the case, with hopes that his interrogation will lead to further revelations about the involvement of larger crime syndicates and potential political or underworld beneficiaries of the assassination plot.