Three killed in two Oshiwara shootouts

Kurla, a key bomb blast accused, was admitted to the nursing home on April 16 and was waiting to undergo a surgery for rectal fistula. The operation was postponed as he was a diabetic, said a doctor requested anonymity. “On an average, Kurla had more than 25 visitors daily which was more than any patient in the hospital. So when these people (killers) walked upto his room, we presumed they were visitors. Even his friend (Cablewallah) was a visitor…we had no reason tosuspect anything,” said a para-medical officer.

When this reporter visited the spot the blood-soaked bedsheets on Kurla’s bed presented a gory picture. There was stunned silence in the hospital and patients were huddled in small groups talking in hushed tones. Released on interim bail in June last year, today was Kurla’s last day of parole. Even as his lawyer, Abbas Kazmi was arguing in the court for an extension of his interim bail at 12.15 pm, the news of the shootout reached the designated TADA court.

At the time of serial blasts on March 12, Kurla was in the custody and hence he was not chargesheeted. However, later, with the recovery of fresh evidence, he was declared proclaimed offender and a manhunt was launched for him. Subsequently, the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) arrested him in January 1995 in Gulbarga. Kurla was charged for aiding and abetting the blasts. He was alleged to have sent four of his men to Pakistan for training.

Additional Commissioner of Police (north-west region)Satyapal Singh said: “It is too premature to say anything about the motive of the killing. Kurla could be a victim of either intra-gang animosity or inter-gang rivalry. But it’s certain that he had become involved in the gang activities again.” The police had also recovered some important papers and a diary from him. The diary contained some Dubai telephone numbers, while the papers, police said, included some property documents. Earlier, just an hour before Kurla’s murder, two unidentified men shot dead a chemical supplier at Oshiwara.

Around 10.30 am, two men accosted Vinod Niranjan Agarwal, who had just stepped out of his residence at Jamuna Amrut apartment, and opened fire at him. Agarwal was rushed to Cooper Hospital, where he was declared dead before admission. Agarwal was a caustic soda supplier and had his office at Masjid area. His killing has surprised police and Agarwal’s family.