Firing could8217;ve been retaliatory

8220;The incident defies logic. Prima facie evidence suggest the two deceased do not have criminal backgrounds. It could be a case of mistaken identity,8221; said Shivanandan. The assailants walked away from the scene of the crime leaving emptycartridges fired from 7.62 mm Chinese-made pistols.

Ashok Jamsendekar 40, one the injured in the shootout, was a member of underworld don Arun Gawli8217;s political wing Akhil Bharatiya Sena ABS. The police are not ruling out the possibility of the assailants targeting the ABS activist. Police investigations have revealed that the two deceased Sunil Pawar, Jitendra Sura and the injured Jaishankar Upadhyay were employees of Anchor Pharma at nearby Kalbadevi. The trio were walking to Marine Lines station after their work to commute to Borivli and Bhayander.

But retaliation seems to be the strongest motive, says a senior police officer. The D N Nagar police had gunned down two Shakeel aides, Javed Shaikh and Hasan Lala at Andheri at 6.15 pm. The gang got back at around 7.30 pm. The gang got even by firing at a predominantly Hindu locality.

Police sources have confirmed that the condition of the five men injured is improving. Doctors at G T Hospital had operated upon them to remove bullets.