Gawli aide Dhabolkar shot dead

Underworld don-turned-gangster Arun Gawli's political outfit Akhil Bharatiya Sena's general secretary Jitendra Dhabolkar were gunned down by three unknown assailants near Milan subway at Santa Cruz in north-west Bombay on Saturday morning.

Police sources said at about 11 am, three unidentified gunmen came in a Tata Sumo and opened fire on Dhabolkar, his associate Babu Nair and his driver Vilas Ghansaram Tamane when they were standing near their Armada jeep before a spare parts shop where they were purchasing accessories for their vehicle.

All of them sustained multiple bullet injuries. Dhabolkar was declared dead on admission at Nanavati Hospital while Babu Nair succumbed later to his injuries.

Dhabolkar's driver Tamane is now out of danger, hospital sources said.

Police sources said that Dhabolkar and Babu Nair sustained seven and five bullet injuries respectively while Tamane sustained injuries in his abdomen.

Top police officials including Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ranjit Singh Sharma have rushed to the spot. Police have launched a massive manhunt to trace the assailants.

Underworld rivalry is suspected to be the mative behind the murder, the police said.

Dhabolkar, who was earlier part of the Bharatiya Kamgar Sena, a labour outfit of the Shiv Sena, floated his own outfit, the Akhil Bharatiya Kamgar Sena, after a ''dispute''.

Later he came in contact with underworld don Arun Gawli after the latter's release from jail and reportedly ''designed'' the organisational structure of the ABS. According to sources, Dhabolkar was the key man in the ABS and ''all political moves of the party were controlled by him''.

He shot into fame about two months back after the successful ABS rally. Recently, he threatened to immolate himself near Raj Bhavan to protest against alleged atrocities by the police against ABS activists. However, before he could do so he was picked up by police.

This is the sixth major shootout in the metropolis since January. Others who were killed were trade union leader Datta Samant, millowner Gopal Vallav Thakkar, film producer Mukesh Duggal, audio king Gulshan Kumar and builder Nattubhai Desai.