He was being chased by the locals after he snatched a cellphone from a shop-owner at the Ballygunge station. The incidents took place on Broad Street, a stone’s throw from the high-security zone where Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee lives.

Three of his victims were admitted in hospital. Aslam was finally caught and handed over to the police.

A resident of Shibtolla Lane in Tiljala, Aslam operated in and around Ballygunge police station, said police. But his luck ran out today.

Around 8.15 this morning, he snatched the cellphone of Rajesh Chowdhury, a resident of Narendrapur and the owner of a shop on Ezra Street. Rajesh and two GRP personnel gave chase.

Aslam first ran down the railway racks and then jumped a wall to enter Bondel Road. The crowd chasing him grew as the locals joined in.

He fired the first shot to disperse his chasers near a Shitala mandir on Bondel Road. The bullet hit a bystander, Anita Basu — a resident of 1F Ballgunge Place East — on the stomach.

As she lay in a pool of blood, Aslam reached Broad Street. He fired three more shots near Ripose Nursing Home. The bullets injured Prakash Raut (32), a local plumber, Manoj Gupta (31), a local resident, and Prahlad Chowrasia (37), a local auto driver. The three were hit on their shoulders and back.

By the time the mob caught up with him, Aslam had used up all his bullets. He was overpowered and thrashed by the people.

The locals then handed him over to the police. While Anita and Prakash were taken to Ripose Nursing Home where they were admitted, Manoj and Prahlad were taken to Sishumangal hospital where the former was admitted and the latter discharged after treatment.

“Everybody was shouting chor chor. I rushed to the scene to find this man running with the mob at his heels,” Prakash Raut, one of the victims told The Indian Express. “I joined the mob. Near Ripose Nursing Home, when we tried to nab him, he fired at us. I was hit on the shoulder and I fell.”