Mumbai cops shoot dead Bihar youth 'carrying message to Raj'

Mumbai/Patna, Oct 27 (UNI) The MNS anti-Bihari agitation triggered further bloodshed when a gunman, hailing from Bihar, who had come to Mumbai ''to pass on a message to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena(MNS) president Raj Thackeray'', was gunned down by the Mumbai police in an exchange of fire today.

The deceased, identified as 25-year-old Rahul Prasad, was shot down by the police after he kept a conductor of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport(BEST) bus hostage near Bailbazaar area in the eastern suburb of Kurla.

BEST General Manager Uttam Khobragade said that the youth had boarded the double-decker bus number 332, running from Kurla to Andheri station, at Sakinaka area. When the bus conductor asked for a ticket or monthly pass, he tied the latter's hands and allegedly fired few rounds in the air, shouting, ''Mai Patna se aaya hu, mujhe kisi ko kuchh nahi karna hai, mai MNS president Raj Thackeray ko message dena chahata hu. (I came from Patna. I do not want to harm anyone. I wanted to pass on a message to Mr Thackeray).'' Mr Khobragade further said, at that time, another conductor from the same bus rushed to a nearby police station and informed them about the incident. ''Police came and cordoned-off the bus, and they asked him to surrender. Instead, he allegedly fired at a police team. In the retaliatory firing that ensued, he suffered head and chest injuries and collapsed on the ground. When admitted to the civic-run Rajawadi Hospital at Ghatkopar, he was declared dead on admission.

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