05 October,2012 07:35 AM IST | | Shiva Devnath
Shetty, who was driving his car near Fame Adlabs, suffered a gunshot wound on his right shoulder, but ducked down in time to avoid three other bullets aimed at him.
Close shave: The car that hotelier Billlari Shetty was driving when four bullets were fired at him on Wednesday night by two men on a motorcycle
"Since the car was automatic, Shetty was able to drive and reach the Oshiwara police station through Lokhadwala," Senior Police Inspector D Roopwate of the Oshiwara police station said.
Shetty was rushed to the Kokilaben hospital by Roopwate, who is now a part of the team investigating the incident. Police officers said though Shetty was stable, he was still not in a condition to give his statement.
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The spot near Fame Adlabs in Andheri (W) where the incident occurred
The police said the incident occurred in the lane adjacent to a Tanishq showroom near Fame Adlabs at 9.30 pm, when Shetty was in his Skoda.u00a0The police said two men on a motorcycle fired four rounds in the direction of the driver's seat of Shetty's car as soon as he had slowed down to take a speed-breaker after turning towards Lokhandwala circle. The police said the shooters were in their twenties.
Not with bodyguard
The police said that Shetty was the only occupant of the car and that the three bullets that missed him hit the windowpanes of the back seat.
"We will ask Shetty why he was travelling alone in spite of having a bodyguard and a driver," an officer said. Inspector Roopwate said Shetty, a resident of Evershine Nagar in Malad, was the owner of 20 hotels in the city, Goa and Pune, including Escape Lounge opposite Infinity mall in Andheri (West).
Shetty also owns a construction business and was on his way to his partner's house for dinner when the incident took place.
The police said that Shetty had been attacked in the past as well. On September 3, 2010, Shetty had registered a non-cognizable complaint about having received threat calls from the underworld. In 2008 as well, he had approached the Bangur Nagar police station about threatening calls.
The police said that investigations were on to trace the two unidentified men who shot at Shetty and that they were trying to establish the motive behind the attack.u00a0
