Five teams have been formed to investigate the shooting incident that took place on Friday in the Sanpada area. Police teams have been dispatched to multiple locations to trace the suspects. Initial findings suggest that the shooting may have been an attempted contract killing.
The Navi Mumbai Crime Branch has launched a manhunt for two suspects involved in the shooting. The suspects are known criminals with prior offenses.
A senior police official indicated that the shooting could be linked to professional rivalry, though this will be confirmed once the suspects are arrested. The victim, Rajaram Thoke, 48, was a contractor responsible for green garbage collection at the Mumbai Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Vashi.
Two bike-borne assailants fired at Thoke near D Mart in Sanpada and fled. In the incident, Thoke sustained bullet injuries and he was admitted to a civic hospital and later shifted to a private hospital.
Thoke was also an RTI activist, and sources claim he had uncovered a scam at APMC Vashi. He had recently received information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. On the day of the incident, Thoke had been on his way to the civic ward office when he stopped for tea, where he was shot.
Thoke's condition is currently stable. All bullets had been removed from his body, and there was no damage to any vital organs.