Mhatre, a sharp shooter, allegedly opened fire at the police personnel, who asked him to surrender after they surrounded him near Peninsula Tower at 6:30 am following a tip-off.
Mhatre not only tried to escape when he was asked to surrender but also fired at the officers, Maria added.
“In self-defence police opened fire and Mhatre received serious injuries. He was rushed to the nearby hospital where he was declared dead,” Maria said. The shooter fired four rounds at police while they in retaliation fired three rounds, he said. “Mhatre was a former member of Suresh Manchekar gang. Later joined Shakeel gang.”
Fazal-ur Rehman Khan, AMH Faqeer, MSY Ali Hakeem, R Warkari and Salaam M Yousuf Kazi of Shakeel’s gang who were arrested, last week, had planned to kill an advocate who is representing a member of their rival Ravi Poojari gang.
Published 10 May 2009, 19:16 IST