Three Rounds Fired Near Mumbai College, Two Arrested

Mumbai: A man escaped unhurt after three rounds were allegedly fired at him near SIWS College in Wadala (West) on Saturday night. Mumbai Police arrested two suspects within an hour and seized firearms and live ammunition, officials said.

According to eyewitnesses, three men arrived in an Ola cab near SIWS College on R.A. Kidwai Road, at Char Rasta in Wadala, and allegedly opened fire at a man walking along the road. The incident triggered a police response, with personnel from Matunga Police Station, Crime Branch Unit 4 and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 4) Anurag Jain reaching the spot.

Police initially traced the cab driver, who reportedly claimed he had no knowledge of the shooting. Investigators subsequently tracked down the suspected attackers in the Antop Hill area and arrested two of them within an hour of the incident.

The arrested men have been identified as Hamza Khan and Ali, alias Dawood Khan. Both are residents of Himmat Nagar in Wadala.

During the operation, police recovered two pistols, including a country-made firearm commonly known as a desi katta, along with live ammunition. The seized weapons are expected to form part of the ongoing investigation.

The victim has been identified as Soheb, a resident of Sangam Nagar in Wadala TT. According to police, both the accused and the victim originally hail from Pratapgarh district in Uttar Pradesh.

A preliminary investigation suggests that personal enmity may have been behind the firing. However, officers said the exact motive has not yet been established, and further investigation is underway to determine the circumstances leading to the attack.

Police are examining the sequence of events, including the suspects' movements before and after the shooting, to establish their alleged roles in the incident. Investigators are also expected to look into whether the attack was planned and whether anyone else was involved.

The incident has raised concerns over the use of illegal firearms in residential areas of Mumbai. Although the victim escaped without injury, the firing near a college and along a public road could have endangered other people in the vicinity.

Further details are awaited as the investigation progresses.