'Sister harassed': Man open fires at 3 near Mumbai; 1 dead, 2 injured

THANE: One person was killed and two others were injured in Mumbra on Thursday when a 51-year-old man fired at them for allegedly harassing a woman he considered his sister.

The firing took place at around 11:30 am near Sumatibai Chavan Hindi Primary School in Mumbra's Kailas Nagar area, which is under the jurisdiction of Mumbra police station. Police arrested the accused, Jayen Shivanandan Nair.

According to the police, a minor dispute had erupted over the cutting of a banana tree within the school premises, where the woman accused considers his sister works as a caretaker. The dispute led to a heated argument between the woman and three individuals, during which, the woman allegedly told the accused, she was harassed by the men, Anil Shinde, senior inspector of Mumbra police station said.

In a fit of rage, the accused then allegedly opened fire, injuring the three persons. The victims were rushed to Kalsekar Hospital, where one of them, Akbar Abdul Sheikh, was declared dead during treatment. The two other injured persons are in a stable condition, police said.

Police said the accused shares a close bond with the woman's family. When he was nine years old, he had lost his parents in Kolkata. During that period, the mother of the woman took him in and raised him, making him feel particularly protective towards the family, the police said.

Police have recovered the weapon, a country-made firearm, used in the crime. During questioning, the accused claimed that he had found the firearm during a trip near a secluded spot along the Gujarat border and had kept it.

The incident has raised fresh concerns over gun-related violence in Mumbra as it comes days after another firing case involving Nadeem Khan alias Baba Khan, where the accused allegedly fired at the police while attempting to evade arrest. A separate case of firing was also reported last week in Thane's Pachpakhadi area.

With at least three firing incidents in Thane within a month, questions have been raised about law and order, policing and public safety.