Hospital and Mahajan's home barricaded

Mumbai, Apr 22: The Worli residence of BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan and Hinduja hospital, where he has been operated upon for three gunshot wounds, have been barricaded by police for investigation and security of VIPs visiting the victim.

Pravin Mahajan, the younger brother Mr Mahajan, 56, allegedly fired four shots. He has been booked under charges of attempt to murder, under section 307 of Indian Penal Code, after he surrendered along with his ''licensed '' revolver.

Pravin is likely to be produced before Bhoiwada Metropolitan Magistrate later in the day, the police said.

Meanwhile, party vice-president K Venkaiah Naidu arrived at the Hinduja hospital at around 1300 hrs.

Earlier, actress-turned-MP Hema Malini also visited Mr Mahajan at the hospital.

Hospital sources said one gunshot wound has damaged liver of the BJP leader. Dr Vinod Chandiramani, one of the five surgeons who operated upon him, did not rule out another surgery.

The hospital security and police have closed both the gates of the hospital and pushed the throng of print and electronic media 20 metres away, across the road at Mahim.

Similarly, at Worli, where Mr Mahajan was shot at in his 15th floor apartment in Poorna building, police have cordonned-off the building complex.

A team of forensic experts, who came in two vehicles, are scanning the scene of crime and collecting evidence.
Meanwhile, Jaiwanti Behn Mehta, a resident of a 9th floor apartment in Poorna, said it was around 0800 hrs that she heard Pramod's wife screaming ''marla marla'' (killed killed). Private security personnel at the building complex, which has two entrances for Poorna and Godawari towers, said Pravin checked in at around 0730 hrs.

Confirming this, Joint Commissioner of Police Arup Patnaik told mediapersons at Hindjua hospital that the two brothers had ''heated arguments over some family dispute'' following which Pravin whipped out his revolver and fired four shots, three of which hit the BJP leader, while one misfired.

Sources said it was a .32 mm calibre imported weapon and Pravin, who is a builder at Thane, a satellite town, has a license for it.

But, Mr Patnaik said ''we are investigating if it is a licensed weapon.'' Sources in Poorna residential tower said the two brothers had arguments while sharing a light breakfast, as indicated by the leftovers at the table across which they were sitting. They said the BJP leader's wife and a maid servant were inside the kitchen when Pravin fired four shots from his revolver.

It is learnt that the apartment in which Pramod Mahajan lives with his family (wife and two children - a son and daughter) is owned by Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi.

UNI