A sharp shooter belonging to the Chhota Shakeel gang was killed in an encounter with police early on Friday. Acting on a tip-off that the gangster, Razaballi alias Guddu, would be arriving near ITI at Ghatkopar to finalise plans to kidnap a businessman, police laid a trap.

Soon after Guddu arrived, police asked him to surrender. Instead he shot at police and was injured in retaliatory firing by police. He was rushed to Rajawadi hospital where he was declared dead on admission, police said. Meanwhile, the Thane police shot dead Ashok Kisan, a member of Suresh Manchekar gang, in an encounter early today. According to the police, Kisan was involved in various cases of murder, dacoity and extortion.

Fast unto death for new district

Leaders from all political parties in Thane have decided to launch a fast unto death from April 5 in front of the Jawhar additional collector's office to press for their demand for a separate district of Jawhar. Tribals fromthe talukas of Jawhar, Wada, Talasari, Dahanu and Mokhada have been seeking declaration of Jawhar as the new district to be carved out of Thane district from May 1, 1999.

In a memorandum to Chief Minister Narayan Rane, they demanded that Jawhar be made a new district headquarters to represent the tribals of the district, from the rural region of Thane. --UNI