The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked the Maharashtra government to take a time-bound decision on former MLA Zeeshan Siddique’s request for enhanced security, after he reported receiving extortion calls for several months following the murder of his father, NCP leader Baba Siddique.
A division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and R R Bhonsale directed the state’s concerned committee to decide Siddique’s representation within 10 days. The court fixed the matter for further hearing on January 13.
Zeeshan Siddique, whose father Baba Siddique was shot dead outside his Bandra office on the night of October 12, 2024, has claimed that his security cover was reduced earlier this year from the Y+ category. He has said that since August this year he has been receiving extortion calls, prompting him to seek higher protection.
The court was informed by the family’s lawyer, Pradip Gharat, that Zeeshan had submitted a formal representation in November to the competent committee seeking restoration of enhanced security. Advocate General Milind Sathe, appearing for the Maharashtra government, told the bench that the request would be considered, leading to the court’s direction for a decision within a fixed timeframe.
The hearing also comes against the backdrop of a separate petition filed by Baba Siddique’s widow, Shehzeen, who has sought transfer of the murder investigation to an “independent and impartial agency.” In her plea, she stated that her husband had repeatedly raised concerns about his safety and had sought restoration of police protection weeks before he was killed.
Following Baba Siddique’s murder, Zeeshan Siddique was initially provided police security on his application. However, the protection was later scaled down after authorities conducted a threat perception review.
With the High Court now stepping in, the state government has been placed under a clear deadline to assess the security threat faced by Zeeshan Siddique and take a reasoned decision on his request for enhanced protection.
