A local hoodlum, Sadanand Shetty, was shot dead at Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg at around 6.15 pm today.

In the exchange of fire, two policemen, including Sub-Inspector Sham Sawant and Constable Dhananjay Karande, were injured. Shetty and the policemen were rushed to Badwai Nursing Home. While Shetty was declared dead before admission, the policemen were out of danger. According to police, Shetty was wanted in several cases of murder, attempt to murder, extortions, among others.

Another poet quits govt body

Amid the spate of resignations by Marathi litterateurs from government bodies, poet Dr Aruna Dhere also tendered her resignation today, to protest against the tirade by Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray who said litterateurs have contributed nothing to society.

Dhere said it would be difficult for her to continue functioning on these committees as the``government did not consider it to be its duty to protect literature and culture''. Earlier, noted poet N D Mahanor and Marathi writer Ram Shewalkar had resigned from all literary organisations connected with the state government.