Shoot-out at peak hour, three killed

The incident created a stir among several commuters who were returning from their offices at that time. And many thought that there had been a bomb blast.

The police were acting on a tip-off received at 1.47 in the afternoon that four gangsters would be passing through the area on their way to Khar.A special squad of police sharp-shooter was deployed to counter the hardened criminals, said a senior police officer.

A trap was laid and before long the four wanted gangsters drove past in a green Maruti MH01 F 3693. When the police van tried to intercept the speeding car, one of the gangsters lobbed hand-grenades and opened fire at the raiding squad members, in which two officers have been injured.

The police retaliated, and sprayed the gangsters’ car with bullets. While three of the wanted men were killed on the spot, the fourth gangster managed to escape. The dead have been identified as Ganesh Shetty, Arif Sheikh and Raju Palke. The fourth member is yet to be identified. The gangster owed allegiance to the Kumar Pillai gang, who broke away from Amar Naik outfit and joined hands with the Chhota Rajan faction recently.

The injured police officers are police sub-inspector Shiva Thackeray and PSI Dayanand Naik, who have been removed to Rajawadi Hospital at Ghatkopar. Injuries to assistant police inspector R Sharma is yet to be ascertained.

The police have recovered a 9 mm and .38 foreign make pistol. Also recovered are two hand grenades and a revolver.