Mumbai crime branch will interrogate some jailed associates of underworld gangster Ravi Pujari while an absconding Pujari gangster has been identified as one of the suspects in the shootout at film-maker Mahesh Bhatt's office in suburban Juhu on Wednesday, police sources said.
Sources said interrogation of jailed associates of Pujari had yielded good results during the investigation into the attack on lawyer Majid Memon in 2005, and this time too the Mumbai crime branch is proceeding on the same line, sources said.
Mumbai crime branch officials are likely to visit the Central Jail on Arthur Road in central Mumbai, besides the Thane Central Jail on Thursday and interrogate the jailed Pujari men, sources said.
An unidentified person had barged into the fourth floor office of Bhatt at Shubhjeevan building at D N Nagar in Juhu on Wednesday, firing one round in air after finding that the film-maker was not in office.
Subsequently, police recovered a chit from Bhatt's office stating that the firing was done by Pujari's men.
A few minutes after the firing, unidentified persons also called up Bhatt's office informing that Pujari's men had failed to kill Bhatt this time, but would not fail next time, sources said.
Meanwhile, police, with the help of the office staff has prepared a sketch of the suspect who fired inside the office.
Mumbai crime branch Deputy Commissioner of Police Dhananjay Kamalakar told PTI, "We have received several leads in the investigation, and we are pursuing each to take the probe to a logical conclusion."
Mumbai crime branch has also identified one Ali alias Chotu, a Pujari gangster who is absconding after jumping bail, as one of the suspects in the shoot-out.
"Ali could be instrumental in providing logistic support to the assailant, although he may not necessarily have participated in the shootout," a crime branch official told PTI.
Ali is suspected to be operating Pujari's activities in Mumbai, including identifying probable suspects and providing detailed information to Pujari about them, including their telephone numbers, sources said.
Interrogation of jailed Pujari gangsters is likely to provide information about Ali, his present activities and area of operation, sources further said.
Meanwhile, the Oshiwara police are yet to locate the motorbike used by the assailant to flee after the firing.
Although a 'nakabandi' was ordered after the incident, there has been no trace of the motorbike.
"We had intercepted a youth at Sion in the afternoon who had description similar to that of the assailant. But later on it was found that the youth had no connection with the incident," Additional Police Commissioner (West Region) Bipin Bihari told PTI.
Police has also recovered an empty cartridge fired by the assailant from the spot.
"From the cover it appears that the assailant may not have used a sophisticated weapon. It could even be a country-made firearm," DCP Kamalakar said.
