One person was killed and several others were injured after unidentified assailants opened fire inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park, which extends across parts of Mumbai and Thane, in the early hours of Tuesday, October 20, police said.
The Sanjay Gandhi National Park shooting took place in the park’s Chena beat in the Yeoor Range, Thane. After receiving information about the incident, personnel from the Forest Department and police teams reached the area to inspect the site.
Investigating teams found bloodstains deep inside the forest, approximately 450 metres from the forest boundary, according to the report. The deceased is believed to be a resident of Belkari Pada, an area under the jurisdiction of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation.
Police and forest officials have not yet officially established the complete identities of the deceased and injured people. The authorities have also not determined the exact sequence of events or the motive behind the firing.
The location presents an operational challenge for investigators because the incident occurred within a forest range rather than in a conventional urban street or built-up neighbourhood. The site lies inside a large protected green area that functions across administrative boundaries, bringing the Forest Department and local police into the same investigation.
Joint inquiries are being conducted by the Forest Department and officers from the local Kashigaon Police Station. The teams are examining the scene and working to establish what led to the shooting, who was involved and how the people reached the area.
The incident also places attention on how public safety is managed in forested areas adjoining densely settled parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Belkari Pada, from where the deceased is believed to have come, falls within Mira-Bhayandar’s municipal jurisdiction, while the reported site is in the Yeoor Range of the park in Thane.
The authorities have not disclosed further details about the firearms, the identities of the injured or their medical condition in the information available. Officials said greater clarity would emerge as the investigation progresses.
