Cops suspect Lakshya Jadhav behind Prithvi Hotel shooting

Officials said it was Jadhav's modus operandi, wherein he first threatens the victims and later makes extortion calls.

The shooting incident occurred around 2.45 pm. The two accused stopped the motorcycle opposite the hotel following which the pillion rider fired two rounds at the hotel. The duo then fled the spot. Except for the broken windowpanes, no casualties were reported.

Suspected mastermind: Laxman Jadhav alias Lakshya

Hotel owner Santosh Shetty (36), who was on the cash counter when the shooting occurred, registered a complaint at the Korhtud police station.

Police Inspector Kalyan Vidhate of the Kothrud police station said, "Though we collected CCTV footage from one of the cameras installed at the hospital that is adjacent to the hotel, it does not give clear picture of the shooters.

We strongly suspect that Jadhav is the mastermind behind this firing. He is a dreaded criminal and several cases of murder, attempt to murder, extortion and bodily offence are registered against him at several city and rural police stations."

Vidhate said though the hotel had a CCTV camera, it had been uninstalled due to ongoing renovation work.

"There is a gas agency near the hotel and they too have CCTV cameras. But when we went to check the footage they had recorded, we couldn't recover any as the disk was full," Vidhate said.

Police Inspector S B Navale of the Kothrud police station said in June, Jadhav had fired at Vinayak Jade, an accountant with builder Shesharam Choudhari, near Rajaram Bridge. Jade survived the attack.

After attacking Jade, Jadhav called Choudhari on several occasions between June and September and threatened him of dire consequences if he failed to meet his monetary demand. Later, Jadhav and his accomplices opened fire at the builder's residence in Kothrud and two days after the attack Choudhari was asked to pay Rs 10 lakh.u00a0