Monday, July 4 2005 13:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Two unidentified gunmen today fired at leading criminal lawyer Majid Memon outside his residence at Almira Road in suburban Bandra. Later police claimed that, the Ravi Pujari gang has owned responsibility.

Pujari, former chhota Rajan man, who is now operating his own gang from Australia, is reported to have called up journalist of a television channel minutes after the shoot out claiming responsibility for the attack, sources added

However, Memon escaped the attack and was not injured. The assailants on a motorbike were waiting outside Memon's residence and fired at him when the lawyer and his son were getting into their car to go to Sessions Court.

Pujari is reported to have told that his men attacked Memon since he defended accused in the December 2002 Ghatkopar bomb blast.

The rear glass of the car was shattered into pieces as bullets were showered on the vehicle. Memon's police security guard retaliated by returning fire but the gunmen escaped on the bike. A manhunt has been launched to trace the duo, police added.

Memon, who has appeared in many high profile cases, including series of bomb blast cases, was recently provided security after police said they have received intelligence report that underworld was planning to eliminate him.

DCP Dhannajay Kamlakar of Mumbai Crime Branch said that their intelligence report about threat to Memon from the underworld has proved to be correct. "We had specific information about threats to Memon and therefore had provided armed security to him. Infact the retaliatory fire by the police gunmen prevented any further attack by the unidentified shooters", he told

Memon, who initially refused the security, saying, according to him, there was no threat to his life, later accepted the security cover.