On receiving a tip-off, inspector Ghule of Manpada police and his team went to MIDC Phase II, and spotting Patil in the area, asked him to surrender. Patil, however, fired back at Ghule, injuring him on his left arm. The police squad returned the fire, in which the gangster was killed.

While Ghule was rushed to the Shirodkar hospital, where he is undergoing treatment, Patil's body has been sent to the Shastri Nagar hospital for a post-mortem. Patil, a resident of Wadalawadi, Dattanagar, was a history-sheeter. He had several extortion cases registered against him in the Dombivli, Manpada and Ulhasnagar police stations.

Police haven't ruled out the possibility of Patil's involvement in the recent murder of Dr Deepak Shetty in Kalyan. Police hadformed a special anti-Manchekar squad after numerous businessmen, doctors and traders in Dombivli, Kalyan and Ulhasnagar complained of threats from the gang.

This is the first encounter by Thane police after the killing of Dr Shetty.