Mumbai: The shots came at 12.40 pm on a Wednesday, on a lane where people were going about their afternoon. Vinod Mallapa Pawar, 40, was outside a public toilet near Halav Bridge in Kurla West when two men on a two-wheeler opened fire.
He was taken to Bhabha Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The body was later moved to Sion Hospital for a post-mortem.
The spot falls under the Vinoba Bhave (V.B.) Nagar police station. A country-made pistol was found at the scene and seized.
"We suspect two rounds were fired, but we are still verifying how many," said Ganesh Shinde, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 2, East Region.
"The incident appears to be linked to an old rivalry. We have registered a case and formed 12 teams to arrest the accused. The pistol was found at the spot and has been seized. We are also trying to find out where it was purchased from," he said.
One suspect has been identified as Nihal Ashish Pawar. Police said he has a criminal record and are looking for him and an accomplice.
For the family, this is the second time in six months. Vinod's brother Baba Pawar was shot dead in the same neighbourhood earlier this year. Police said the accused in that case are in custody.
After the killing, relatives staged a protest outside the V.B. Nagar police station, demanding immediate arrests and a CBI inquiry.
"Six months ago, my brother-in-law Baba Pawar was also killed over a rivalry. Now my husband has been murdered. We want a CBI inquiry because we do not want the local police to investigate," said Surekha Pawar, the deceased's wife.
Police records show Vinod Pawar was arrested in 2019 for allegedly murdering his stepbrother, Billa Pawar, in the same area. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and released on bail around 18 months ago, after which he had been living in the neighbourhood.
He is survived by his wife and two children.
Officers have taken custody of CCTV footage from the routes the attackers used and are recording statements from three or four eyewitnesses. The motive will become clearer once the accused are picked up, police said.