In the high-profile murder case of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique, the Mumbai Crime Branch invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOC Act), on November 30.
The Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999, commonly referred to as “MCOCA,” is a law introduced by the state of Maharashtra, India, to combat organized crime and terrorism. Enacted in 1999, the Act provides the state government with special powers to address these challenges, including expanded surveillance authority, relaxed evidentiary requirements, procedural safeguards, and the ability to impose stricter criminal penalties, including the death sentence.
To date, 26 individuals have been arrested in the Baba Siddique murder case, while three suspects—Shubham Rameshwar Lonkar, Zeeshan Mohammad Akhtar, and Anmol Bishnoi—are still at large. The investigation remains underway.
Siddique was assassinated on October 12, at approximately 9:15 pm, by three attackers near the Bandra office of his son, MLA Zeeshan Siddique. According to Crime Branch sources, the primary shooter, Shiv Kumar Gautam, remained at the scene for nearly 20 minutes following the incident.
The Mumbai Crime Branch filed an FIR under Sections 103(1) (murder), 109 (abetment of a crime), 125 (acts endangering life or personal safety), and 3(5) (general explanations) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 3 (possession or carrying of firearms or ammunition), 5 (unlicensed sale or transfer of arms or ammunition), 25 (forcible seizure of weapons), and 27 (use of arms) of the Arms Act. Sections 37 (carrying arms) and 135 (violating lawful orders) of the MPA Act were also applied.
