According to the police, the firing took place at around 12.30 pm near Hindustan Soda Bottle plant on Lady Jamshed Road in Wanjewadi, Mahim (west) when the three victims were busy playing cards. The gunman emerged from nowhere and opened fire from close range and walked away without any resistance, the police added.

The trio, who have been identified as Mohammed Mehboob Sheikh (31), Javed Isabhai Sheikh (32) and Yusuf Riaz Shaikh (38), were immediately rushed to nearby Hinduja Hospital where they are undergoing treatment.

According to the police, Mohammed Sheikh, who owns a STD booth, was hit in the groin, leg and arm. While Javed, who is employed as a tailor and Riaz a butcher received injuries on left thigh and knee respectively.

The police have recovered six 9 mm empty cartridges from the scene of firing. The shootout could be a falloutof previous enmity and members of the Chhota Rajan gang could be involved in the incident, Mahim police stated, adding that a case of attempt to murder has been registered. However, no one was arrested in this regard, they further said.

This is the second firing incident in the narrow lanes of Wangewadi in less than a month. Earlier, Iqbal alias Salim Langda and an embroidery worker Gopal were shot dead allegedly by Rajan gangsters on December 11.

On Saturday, two activists of Akhil Bharatiya Sena, a political party floated by notorious gangster Arun Gawli, were shot at near Rea Dongri, Kasturba Marg at Borivli (east). The condition of the victims, identified as shakha pramukh of ward no. 148 Mangesh Sawant and Satish Bhoiwale, is still critical, police sources revealed. The assailants had made good their escape in the morning crowd.