Contract killing, biz rivalry as angles being probed in Siddique's killing

Police have launched a probe into the killing of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique from different angles, including a possible contract killing, business rivalry or threat over a slum rehabilitation project, officials said on Sunday. The body of NCP leader Siddique (66), who was shot dead by three assailants in Mumbai on Saturday night, was shifted from Lilavati Hospital to Cooper Hospital around 6 am on Sunday for postmortem, an official said. The shocking incident has prompted the opposition to question the law and order situation in the state where the assembly elections are expected to be held next month. Baba Siddique was waylaid by three men at Kher Nagar in Mumbai's Bandra area just outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique's office and shot at. He was shifted to the Lilavati Hospital's emergency medical services at 9.30 pm in an unresponsive condition with no pulse, no cardiac activity, no blood pressure, and with a history of gunshot wounds on the chest, officials from