Click to play videoMumbai: In a shocking incident in Mumbai a young man opened fire inside a bus, taking a conductor hostage and injuring another commuter before he was gunned down by the police.
The youth identified as Rahul Raj hails from Bihar and had boarded bus number 332 in the Kurla Kamani area at about 9.20 am, which is the rush hour.
He went up and sat on the upper deck and when the bus conductor Mahendra Ghude approached him for a ticket, Rahul Raj caught hold of him and started firing in the air.
“He said he wanted to kill Raj Thackeray and that he wanted to meet the Mumbai police commissioner,” said Ghude after rescue.
But as the high drama of the threatened shootout was on, the attacker also dragged the conductor and held other passengers hostage.
The conductor on the lower deck called the police who immediately surrounded the bus.
After convincing the man to allow the other passengers to go, the police asked Rahul Raj to surrender. As the police entered the bus, the gunman reportedly opened fire again.
The police shot him down and despite criticism, maintain that there was no other way.
“It's easy for you to sit here and ask why the police killed him. But the situation is a very grim one and you cannot ask the same question when you are faced with a man wielding a gun and shooting with people around the place. We will, of course conduct a detailed enquiry and details will be furnished before the court,” said Additional Commissioner of Police, Sadanand Date.
The Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra R R Patil said that illegally, wielding a gun in public places and threatening the common man’s life is a crime and will be dealt with firmly.
The commuter injured by the gunman’s fire was taken to the nearby Rajawadi hospital.
BEST, the corporation that runs the bus services has announced a reward for both the bus conductors.
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