In the first encounter, Lalit Vishwakarma alias Lali, a top-ranking Ashwin Naik gang member who was on the Mumbai Crime Branch's `Top Ten' list, had been harassing the owner of Chandani Bar at Mulund for money. After negotiations, Lali agreed to accept Rs 3.5 lakh, and told the hotelier that he would send his men to collect the money at 11.30 pm on Saturday.

The police were tipped off, and a special squad led by inspector Bansode laid a trap outside the hotel. Around quarter past midnight, the team spotted two men getting off a rickshaw.

The police asked the duo to surrender, but the gangsters allegedly fired two rounds on the police, claimed sources. The police teamthen let loose five rounds on the duo. Even as one of them sustained injuries, the other managed to escape.

The injured gangster, identified as Santosh Anand Dali alias Giri, was taken to Mulund General Hospital, where he was declared before arrival. The police recovered a country-made revolver from Giri and several live rounds from the spot.

A resident of Sunderbaug, Kurla, Giri had been active in the north-east area and Andheri. Cases of assault, extortion and attempt to murder were registered against him at Ghatkopar, Andheri and Saki Naka.

The same night, unidentified assailants shot at four members of the Abu Salem gang in front of Janata Hotel, Cheetah Camp. While the assailants escaped, the gangsters were rushed to Shatpati hospital at Trombay. One of the gangsters, Parvez Alam Mohammad (35) was declared dead. He had murder and robbery cases registered against him with the Trombay police. In the second encounter early Sunday morning, which followed almost an identical sequence of events as thefirst one, the police were tipped off that Chhota Rajan gangsters were going to the Central Railway ground near Bhoiwada. A team led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Kohe laid a trap.

At around 5.30 am, two men were spotted at the ground on a motorbike. The police team asked the duo to surrender, but, like in the first encounter, the two allegedly fired at the police. The team fired in retaliation, injuring the gangster sitting pillion on the motorbike, who slumped to the ground. The other gangster managed to escape on the bike. The gangster, identified as Pradeep Roge, was taken to King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, where he was declared dead on admission. Roge was found to be in possession of a country-made revolver and live cartridges.