A profusely bleeding Behrani drove to the Central police station nearby and reported the matter to the police. He was then shifted to the Central Hospital in the neighbourhood. In fact the woefully inadequate medical facilities in the township were brought into sharp focus as the victim had to be taken all the way to Kalyan for conducting a mere CT scan. He was later shifted to Singhania Hospital, Thane, where he was being operated upon to remove the bullets.

According to eye-witnesses to the scene of attack, Behrani was driving past Ayodhya Nagar when he saw an acquaintance (identity still to be established by the police) and stopped to chat when three assailants came in an autorickshaw and shot at him thrice from around two and a half feet away before fleeing. ``One bullet hit him in his right cheek. The second one is lodged in hisnose bridge while the third missed him,'' informed senior police inspector V V Biwal who is handling the case at the Central police station. The police have still to establish the type of arm used for the attack. According to a senior police official the attack could be linked to the recent demolition of the Shivam complex which Behrani had claimed was illegal. Both the Congress and Ulhasnagar People's Party (UPP) leaders who spoke on condition of anonymity corroborated this version Eight years ago, Behrani was named one of the accused in the murder of Dhunichand Kalani, Pappu Kalani's brother and then president of Ulhasnagar district Congress party. Jyoti Kalani, Behrani's sister-in-law and leader of the opposition in UMC and chairperson of the UPP, refused to comment on the Rajwani angle.

``Whoever has done this needs to be denounced for his dastardly act,'' she said. Gopal Rajwani could not be contacted.

As word about the shootout spread, all shops downed their shutters even before an all-party bandhwas declared.