A police press release said the encounter took place near Housing and Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) Bank behind Sangam Co-operative Society on the busy Andheri-Versova Link Road around 6.20 pm. The two gangsters has been identified as Javed Rukmuddin Sheikh (25) and Hasan Biskil Lala (25). Two pistols and several live rounds were recovered from the spot.

A special squad attached to the North West Region had laid a trap at D N Nagar after receiving information that Sheikh and Lala were to visit a businessman in the area to collect extortion money. The duo arrived on a motorcycle at around 6.15 and were asked to surrender. However, they opened fire at the police team. The police retaliated and injured the duo. Though the gangsters were rushed to the Cooper Hospital, they were declared dead before admission.

Both Sheikh and Lala werehistory-sheeters wanted in several cases. Sheikh was allegedly involved in a murder under the jurisdiction of Aarey Sub-division late last year. He had dumped the body of oneof his associates after killing him in the jungles of Aarey Milk Colony. Lala is the main accused in a murder at Gamdevi in south Mumbai in 1993.