Police said the shootout was probably a fallout of inter-gang rivalry arising out of a dispute over sharing money. This was the eighth shootout in the last ten days. The Malad police, under whose jurisdiction the firing took place, confirmed that the shootout took place around 2 am this morning when the trio stood outside Kaka Beer Bar, near Laxmi Narayan Shopping Centre, Malad (east). Three unidentified gunmen accosted them and sprayed around 30 rounds at them from close range before escaping from the spot under the cover of darkness.

While Anjani Kumar Dixit (30) and Mahendra Dashrat Contractor (32) alias Babua were declared dead before admission to Bhagwati Hospital. The third victim, Ramanna Shetty, has been shifted to NairHospital in central Mumbai, where his condition is stated to be critical. Dixit was hit four times in the chest, head and stomach, while 10 bullets hit Contractor in the head and chest region.

Preliminary investigations reveal that Contractor was detained under NSA twice and was wanted in connection with a murder and an attempt-to-murder by the Goregoan and RAK Marg police stations respectively. Shetty was a canteen contractor in an industrial estate at Goregoan, the police revealed.

Investigating officers are now trying to find out what Shetty was doing with Contractor so late in the night. The antecedents of Dixit too are being checked.

Meanwhile, in another incident, three unidentified persons robbed a businessman of Rs 4.8 lakh at VP Road in south Mumbai last night. Mahendra Gandhi was in his shop located in Veerchand Umershi Building, 3rd Panjrapole Lane, at around 8 pm when the robbers struck.