MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday granted bail to 22-year-old Akashdeep Karaj Singh, an accused in the murder of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique, marking the first instance of bail being granted in the high-profile case.
A single-judge bench of justice Neela Gokhale ordered Singh’s release on a personal bond of ₹1 lakh, observing that the prosecution had failed to place cogent material linking the young accused either to the alleged organised crime syndicate headed by Lawrence and Anmol Bishnoi or to the murder itself.
Siddique, 66, a former Maharashtra minister, was shot dead on October 12, 2024, in Bandra East. The attack occurred around 9.30pm as he stepped out of his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office after meeting party supporters ahead of the assembly elections. As Siddique walked towards his car near the Kherwadi junction, two assailants allegedly opened fire, discharging six rounds. Three bullets struck Siddique, two hit his vehicle, while one injured a pedestrian. The shooters were later identified by police as Gurmel Baljit Singh and Shivkumar Gautam, allegedly linked to the gang led by Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol Bishnoi.
Singh, a student from Fazilka in Punjab, was arrested on November 15, 2024, on allegations that he had links with members of the Bishnoi gang and had relayed instructions to another accused, Sujit Singh alias Babbu Singh. Investigators claimed that Singh, who hails from a village around 11 km from the India–Pakistan border, acted as a conduit between the gang and the local operatives.
After a sessions court rejected his bail plea on July 19, 2025, Singh approached the high court, contending that the charge sheet contained no incriminating material to connect him to either the crime syndicate or the murder. He also submitted that he was a “bright student” pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree at a college in Fazilka and that the case had disrupted his education.
Advocate Abhishek Yende, appearing for Singh, argued that there was no direct or indirect evidence to show his involvement in the planning or execution of the crime, and that his arrest was based solely on call detail records, including two calls allegedly made to Sujit Singh and some international calls. Special prosecutor Mahesh Mule and advocate Pradeep Gharat, representing Siddique’s family, strongly opposed the bail plea.
In its order, the court held that there were no reasonable grounds to believe the accusations against Singh were prima facie true. “The entire case of the prosecution qua the present applicant hinges on the two calls made by him to A-15 (Sujit Singh) on October 7, 2024,” the court noted, adding that merely making a call did not, by itself, establish a link with an organised crime syndicate unless knowledge of such activities was demonstrated.
On the allegation that Singh was part of the Bishnoi-led syndicate based on international calls, the court observed that the prosecution had not even identified the recipients of those calls. It also pointed out that Singh’s name was “eloquently absent” from the confessional statements of two co-accused, including Sujit Singh.
With these observations, the court allowed Singh’s bail application, clarifying that its findings were limited to the consideration of bail and would not affect the trial on merits.