MUMBAI, April 25 -- The Bombay High Court on Friday rejected the bail plea of a businessman from Uttar Pradesh arrested in 2014 for his alleged role in the murder of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ziauddin Abdul Rahim, also known as Baba Siddique. A single-judge bench of justice R.M. Joshi rejected the plea of Akhilendra Pratap Singh, who was arrested in November 2014, observing that the seriousness of the charges did not warrant relief at this stage. Siddique, 66, a former Maharashtra minister, was shot dead on October 12, 2024, in Bandra East. The attack took place around 9.30 pm as he stepped out of his son Zeeshan Siddique's office after meeting party workers ahead of the Assembly elections. Three bullets struck him, while two hit his vehicle and one injured a passerby. The prosecution said Singh was among those who provided logistical support to the assailants. He, along with three others, was arrested for allegedly harbouring Gautam in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, near the Indo-Nepal border. Subsequently, he has been booked for murder and criminal conspiracy. Opposing the bail plea, the State and Siddique's family, who appeared as interveners through senior advocate Pradeep Gharat and advocate Trivankumar Karnani, argued that the accused played a key role in aiding the perpetrators. The defence, however, claimed there was no substantive evidence and alleged misuse of police powers. However, the court declined to grant relief, noting the serious nature of the allegations and the stage of the investigation....