MUMBAI, NOV 21: The Nagpada police have gunned down a notorious criminal from the Chhota Shakeel gang in the wee hours of Saturday. On late Saturday evening, a crowd had gathered outside the hospital claiming that the police had picked up Topi from the residence and the encounter is “fake”.
Following a tip off that Sayed Mukhtar alias Munna Topi, an alleged hitman from the Shakeel gang is expected to come at Byculla junction around 1 am on Saturday, the police team laid a dragnet for him. When the police saw Topi coming on a bike along with an associate, they warned him to surrender.
However, Topi got off from the bike and started firing on the police. The police team too retaliated by firing back. In the exchange of fire, Topi was fatally injured while his accomplice managed to escape on the bike. Topi was rushed to the BYL Nair Hospital at Agripada, where he was declared dead before admission.
According to police, Topi is suspected to be involved in the murders of police informant Ayub Topi, ShivSena leader Rajendra Gupta, one Hussain Shaikh alias Ustra and on firing at Chhota Rajan aide, Sadhu Shetty, outside city civil and sessions court.
In the evening, a mob had besieged the coroner court at the JJ Hospital, where the body was brought for post-mortem. The mob which included the sisters of Topi alleged that the police had picked him up from his residence and Topi was not involved in any of the murders as alleged the police.
The relatives of Topi have said that they will not allow the last rites to be done unless they get justice. The mob remained outside the hospital until late evening.