On a tip off, a special squad attached to unit-8 of the Crime Branch laid a trap for Salim Mohammed Yusuf Memon alias Mohammed Shaitan at Bandra-Kurla complex at Bandra (East). He was spotted astride a red Suzuki motorcycle near a bridge close to Bharat Nagar with an unidentified associate around 6.15 pm.

According to the police, Memon (30) was challenged and ordered to surrender. Instead, the gangster pulled a country-made revolver from under his shirt and fired at the squad, who had cordoned off the area and readjusted the ambush point, the police added.

Sheikh was seriously injured in the subsequent exchange of fire and rushed to Bhabha Hospital at Banda (West) with six bullet wounds where he was declared before admission to the emergency ward. His associate managed to give the police a slip.

A foreign-made revolver and three three liverounds have been recovered from Memon. Even as investigations are underway, the motorcycle which he was riding is feared to have been stolen.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Pradeep Sawant told The Indian Express that Memon was named in at least three serious offences under the jurisdiction of Nirmal Nagar police station at Bandra (East). He was wanted by the Gamdevi police and some of the other offences included extortion, attempt to murder and robbery, Sawant added.

According to ACP Sawant, Memon was a key member of the Jaffar Chikna faction before he changed allegiance and joined hand with Karachi-based gangster Chhota Shakeel. Investigations have revealed that he was in direct contact with Shakeel and handling operations in Bandra area.

Incidentally, Memon is the second Shakeel gangster killed in encounter with the crime branch in the last three days. Another Shakeel aide Mohammed Irfan Yasin Sheikh alias Nikko was shot dead near the Race Course on July 21.The sequence of events were alltoo familiar. Sheikh too was with an unidentified pillion rider, who managed to escape the police dragnet. Police sources revealed members of the Chhota Shakeel gang have fled the city in the wake of the crackdown on the underworld. Some of the gangsters have sought safer haven in cities like Ahmedabad and Surat in Gujarat, sources added.