'Baba Siddique-like' death threat to Yogi Adityanath prompts arrest in India

This threat follows a series of death threats aimed at actor Salman Khan in recent weeks.

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Indian police has detained a 24-year-old woman accused of issuing a death threat against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, an official reported on Sunday.

The woman, Fatima Khan, holds a BSc degree in Information Technology and lives with her family in Ulhasnagar, located in Thane district, Maharashtra. Her father works in the timber industry, according to the official.

The threat, communicated via a WhatsApp helpline, warned that the BJP leader would be murdered "like Baba Siddique" unless he resigned within 10 days.

The threat comes in the wake of the recent assassination of Baba Siddique, a former minister, who was shot dead in Bandra.

The timing of this new threat also coincides with a series of death threats issued to Bollywood actor Salman Khan, heightening concerns over political and celebrity safety in the region.

The message was sent from an unknown number and stated that if Adityanath did not resign, he would meet the same fate as Siddique. The Indian Police are actively working to trace the sender and determine the credibility of the threat.

The warning is part of a broader trend of alarming death threats that have plagued Mumbai in recent weeks, particularly targeting Salman Khan.

Following a shooting incident outside the actor's residence earlier this year, police arrested several individuals linked to the threats, including a vegetable seller from Jamshedpur and a tattoo artist from Noida.

One of the recent threat messages explicitly named Zeeshan Siddique, the Bandra MLA and son of the slain politician, highlighting the dangerous intersections between politics and crime. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for Siddique’s murder, which occurred near his son's office on October 12.

Siddique was known to have close ties to Salman Khan, who has faced threats from the Bishnoi gang in the past, reportedly linked to his involvement in a blackbuck hunting case. Following the firing incident outside Salman Khan's home in April, the actor's security has been significantly increased in response to ongoing threats.