Thane, Oct 22 (IANS): Moving swiftly, the Thane police's Crime Branch nabbed two persons and detained one in connection with the double shooting in Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's hometown, leaving two persons injured, including one critically, police said on Friday.
Launching a manhunt with multiple teams, the Thane police said late in the evening that they had nabbed two shooters - Bipin Mishra and Surav Shinde, and detained another associate.
The police have also recovered one pistol used in the shooting that left Thane is shudders this morning.
In the first incident, property dealer Ashwin Gamle was shot and injured at Ghantali Road around 5.30 a.m.
Heavily bleeding with at least one bullet piercing through his body, Gamle was rushed to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa while the Naupada police began probing the matter.
The second shootout took place near the Mama Bhanja hills locality of Vartak Nagar around dawn, in which local ruffian Kala Ganya was injured.
At least one bullet found its mark on Ganya's chest and he was rushed to the Vedanta Hospital where his condition is described as "critical" as the Vartak Nagar police launched a probe.
The Thane police and Crime Branch set up multiple teams to investigate and track the shooters who were traced to Mulund in Mumbai and attested.
The motives behind the gunfiring spree is said to be extortion and business rivalries culminating in the firing incidents in open public places in the Thane city.
CM Shinde's private residence is located in the city adjacent to Mumbai and it is also his political stronghold.