Pramod Mahajan shot and grievously wounded: condition critical

Mumbai, Apr 22 (UNI) High-profile BJP leader Pramod Mahajan was shot and grievously wounded by his youngest brother this morning and is battling for life in hospital as bullets left gashing wounds damaging his liver, chest and abdomen.

The assailant Pravin Mahajan has been taken into police custody after he surrendered with his licensed Belgian revolver at the Worli police station.

Mr Pramod Mahajan has been put on life support system after a four-hour-long surgery in which embedded bullets could not be retrieved.

President A P J Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and the BJP leadership including Mr L K Advani expressed deep anguish at the incident and wished him speedy recovery.

Top BJP leaders and scores of Mr Mahajan's supporters thronged Hinduja hospital to update themselves on the latest condition and at a number of places, prayer meetings and yagnas were organised for him.

The shoooting took place at the 15th floor residence of the 56-year-old BJP General Secretary when his brother Pravin had come to meet him.

Police sources said immediately after his arrival at the Worli residence of Mr Pramod Mahajan here at around 0800 hrs today, Pravin had some argument with his brother, following which he fired four shots from his ''licensed'' revolver, wounding the BJP leader and left his 15th floor apartment in Poorna building immediately.

Hospital Director (administration) Dr Anupam Verma told mediapersons that three bullets, which shattered his liver, extensively damaged his pancreas and duodenum, besides injuring small intenstine, are still embedded in his body and cannot be removed.

Dr Verma said the main vein in his abdomen, called Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) was also extensively damaged, leading to '' massive loss of blood.'' But, he said IVC has been successfully repaired and bleeding at the head of pancreas has also been successfully stopped by a team of surgeons who operated upon him.

Pravin has been arrested and booked under section 307 of the IPC (attempt to murder), police said.

Earlier, after the attack, a badly wounded Mahajan used his mobile phone to contact his brother-in-law and BJP Legislative Party leader Gopinath Munde, who rushed him to Hinduja hospital. Mr Munde is married to Mahajan's younger sister.

Mr Mahajan has two younger brothers, including Pravin, who lives in Thane district.

Eds: here pick up suitably from earlier series.

UNI Team RP HT2030