Cops target Shakeel gang, kill 3 more

MUMBAI, May 12: Barely five hours after the killing of Nilesh Kokam and two other accomplices, Chhota Shakeel gang suffered another major blow when crime branch officers gunned down three more shooters of his gangr at Tardeo on early Wednesday morning. The officers from the unit-II of the crime branch had received intelligence that five gangsters from the Shakeel gang were likely to assemble at Bodyguard Lane, near Willingdon Club at Tardeo from where they were to proceed to kill a top industrialist in the area.

Following the tip-off the police team laid a trap for the gang members. Around 11.45 pm, the police team spotted a Maruti van and a a team of six men standing around the van. Some of the officers identified the criminals and warned them to surrender.But as always, the cops say:Instead of surrendering they opened fire on the police. In retaliation, the police team fired back at them.8217; f the six three were fatally injured, while two of them managed to escape the van.

The gangsters were rushed tothe Nair Hospital where they were declared dead before admission. Police said the deceased were identified as Ghulam Alam Hashmi alias Hamza Shaikh, Fazal Sheikh and Imtiyaz 23. The trio were identified to be the residents of Mumbra.The police have recovered two imported pistols, one imported revolver along with live and empty cartridges from the deceased. The trio were involved in several murder cases including that of a certain Yasin at Mumbra. According to the crime branch officers, all these men had executed many ruthless operations at the gangster8217;s instance.