A 40-year-old man was shot dead in broad daylight in Mumbai's Kurla area on Wednesday, November 11, in what police say appears to be a killing linked to an old rivalry. The shooting took place at around 12.40 pm outside a public toilet near Halav Bridge in Makadwala Compound, Kurla (West).

Source: PTI

The deceased has been identified as Vinod Mallapa Pawar. According to Mumbai Mirror, Pawar had asked a friend to get him a cigarette before going to the toilet, and as he returned, two men allegedly opened fire on him with a country-made pistol, leaving him critically injured.

Source: Mumbai Mirror

Pawar was rushed to Bhabha Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. His body was later shifted to Sion Hospital for a post-mortem examination, Mumbai Mirror reported.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Ganesh Shinde said police suspect two rounds were fired, though the exact number will be clear only after the medical report and post-mortem examination. "The incident appears to be linked to an old rivalry. We have registered a case and formed 12 teams to arrest the accused. The pistol was found at the spot and has been seized. We are also trying to find out where it was purchased from," Shinde said, as quoted by Mumbai Mirror.

The Vinoba Bhave Nagar police have registered a murder case. Police have identified one of the two alleged attackers as Nihal Ashish Pawar and say a search is under way for him and his associate. According to a police officer cited by Mumbai Mirror, the identified accused also has a criminal record. The allegations against both men are yet to be tested in court, and no arrest had been reported at the time of publication.

Pawar's family members staged a protest outside the police station for a few hours, demanding the immediate arrest of the accused and a CBI inquiry. His wife, Surekha Pawar, said her husband was killed in broad daylight and the family wanted justice, noting that his brother, Baba Pawar, was also murdered in the same area six months ago.

Police records cited in the reporting state that Vinod Pawar was arrested in 2019 for allegedly murdering his stepbrother, Billa Pawar, in the same area, was sentenced to life imprisonment, and had been released on bail around 18 months ago, according to police sources. Pawar is survived by his wife and two children.

What happens next: police teams are searching for the two alleged attackers, investigators are tracing where the country-made pistol was bought, and the post-mortem and medical reports are expected to establish how many rounds were fired.