The special public prosecutor appointed for the sensational killing of three-time legislator Ziauddin Abdul Rahim Siddique, alias Baba Siddique, at a Dussehra rally in suburban Bandra has withdrawn his consent, citing a lack of cooperation from the Mumbai Police.

The Mumbai Police arrested a total of 26 accused, including the shooters, weapon suppliers, financiers, and those providing logistical support to the killers, and filed a voluminous chargesheet earlier in January.

A letter exclusively accessed by The Free Press Journal (FPJ), written by advocate Shoaib Memon to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, states that his decision to withdraw from the case was necessitated by a lack of communication from the investigating officers and concerns regarding the chargesheet filing process.

“The absence of any correspondence or updates on the status of the case has led me to believe that my appointment was not taken seriously,” argued advocate Shoaib Memon, adding that he had reasons to believe that the chargesheet filed in the matter may not have adequately addressed the culpability of the masterminds involved. “My concerns are exacerbated by the fact that no documents related to the case were provided to me, nor were my inputs sought or considered for filing the chargesheet,” alleged Memon.

The veteran legal officer, who has handled several high-profile cases, including those under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA), lamented that the investigating officers did not consult him or seek his legal expertise. “The lack of collaboration and transparency has severely compromised my ability to effectively discharge my duties. I am constrained to withdraw my consent to act as Special Public Prosecutor, as I cannot, in good conscience, proceed with this prosecution,” reads the letter written by advocate Memon to the Mumbai Police last week.

While senior Mumbai Police officials remained tight-lipped about the public prosecutor withdrawing from the Baba Siddique assassination case, sources claimed the killing had many dimensions and complexities, making it a challenge to share details of the investigation and chargesheets.

NCP leader Zeeshan Siddique, son of former legislator Baba Siddique, had also expressed dissatisfaction with the police investigation, alleging a cover-up to protect certain developers linked to the brutal killing. “I had provided names of a few builders and developers in my statement as suspects in my father’s killing. When I asked the police why the statements of those builders were not recorded, they did not give me a satisfactory answer,” alleged Zeeshan Siddique.

The Mumbai Police's investigation into the Baba Siddique murder case revealed that the prime suspect, Akashdeep Gill, who was arrested in Punjab, used a laborer’s mobile hotspot to communicate with key conspirators, including mastermind Anmol Bishnoi, the younger brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.