Mahajan's wife witness to firing

Mumbai, Apr 28 (UNI) Rekha, wife of seriously wounded BJP leader Pramod Mahajan battling for life in the Hinduja Hospital here, had seen her brother-in-law Pravin fire one of the four gun shots, allegedly at her husband in her Worli residence here on April 22, a top police officer disclosed today.

Mumbai police recorded her statement in the hospital yesterday.

While declining to divuldge details of her statement, the officer said she would be the prosecution's prime witness in the case when it comes up for trial, adding she will be examined during the proceedings. This, the police sources said, is indicative of her resolve to depose against her brother-in-law before court of law when the case is taken up for trial.

Statement of Mahajans' domestic help, Harish, had been recorded by the police on Tuesday.

Both Rekha and Harish were present in the 15th floor apartment of the Mahajans in Poorna building at Worli on April 22 when the crime occured there.

A team of police officers, including a woman Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) M P Mohite of Agripada zone and Worli area ACP Jai Prakash Jadhav, recorded Rekha's statement at the hospital last evening, police sources and witnesses said.

Special Public Prosecutor Ujwal Nikam was also in the hospital at that time but he said he was not associated with the police work. '' I only went to see the BJP leader... I did not meet any body in the hospital... I was there only for a few minutes .'' Mr Nikam spent at least 15 mintues in the hospital.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that police had also recorded the statements of Mr Mahajan's brother-in-law Gopinath Munde and his wife. The couple were in their 13th floor apartment in the same building when the crime occured and Mrs Munde was the first to rush upstairs when Rekha was heard screaming '' marla marla''(killed killed) on seeing her profusely bleeding husband.

It was Mr Munde who, along with the help of other relative of Mr Mahajan who had arrived in the building, took him to Hinduja hospital after having alerted the hospital bigwigs on telephone.

Pravin, after the crime, hired a cab and gave himself to the police at nearby Worli police station. He also handed over his licensed .32 mm calibre Belgian Browning pistol to the police and reportedly confessed, saying he shot his brother because he treated him like '' dirt.'' UNI ST SA LS GC2012