Travel agent shot dead at Worli

Ganesh Krishnaji Kulu (25), a local resident who was waiting for a friend on the road, was hit by one of the bullets in the head. He was rushed to Podar Hospital, from where he was shifted to KEM Hospital. He was later admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Hinduja Hospital, where doctors attending to him said his condition was critical.

“I too would have been shot if I had not gone to buy cigarettes from a nearby shop,” remarked Vilas Ingle, who was accompanying Narayan at the time of the shootout. Narayan’s partner RameshThatikonda said he had spoken to the victim at his office G G Tours and Travels an hour before the shootout took place. Narayan then left his office — barely 50 metres away from the scene of the firing — with Ingle, Thatikonda said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) Param Bir Singh, who was at the spot, said more than one shooter could be involved in the firing. Six 7.63 mm empty cartridges fired from Star pistols have been recovered, he said.

Preliminary investigations indicate the gunmen had prior information about the victim’s movements and were waiting for him to come out of his office. They opened fire from three different directions. This is evident from the scars left by two bullets which ricocheted after hitting the roof of the car. The other empty cartridges were found at a distance of about 10 metres from each other.

Narayan’s partners claimed to be ignorant of his antecedents and denied he had received any threats in the recent past. Police, however, said Narayan was named in a murdercase under the jurisdiction of N M Joshi police station in 1984. He was recently acquitted.

Narayan earned the nickname BEST’ because he was earlier a bus conductor. He had contested the 1997 BMC elections as an independent candidate. His wife had recently undergone surgery to remove a tumour from the brian, his partners informed.

Panic gripped the area following the shootout, with adjoining shops downing their shutters. Strangely, there is no eyewitness to the incident, including Ingle, who was accompanying the victim.

Locals told investigators they neither saw anything nor heard the sound of gunfire in the narrow alley of the chawls. This is the third incident in the last one month in which a bystander has been hit by stray bullets.