On Saturday morning Pravin Mahajan, who always preferred to stay away from media glare made it to the news for all the wrong reasons. Between 0700 and 0800, he pumped four bullets into his elder sibling and former Union minister Pramod Mahajan over some property dispute.
While Pramod was shifted to the Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai in a critical condition, Pravin surrendered to the Worli police and confessed to his crime.
In his late 40s, Pravin, youngest of the three brothers is a reclusive man. He hardly ever participated in Mahajan family functions.
Pramod Mahajan shot at by brother
While Pramod is Venkatesh Mahajan's eldest child, the second son Prakash is settled in Aurangabad. Pramod Mahajan also has two sisters Pradnya who is married to former Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Gopinath Munde and Pratibha.
Praveen used to run a small construction business in the extended suburb of Mumbai in Thane and was constantly supported by Pramod Mahajan in his ventures.
In fact, Pramod was like a father figure to him. On Saturday morning, when he met Pramod Mahajan at his plush Worli residence, he apparently got into a verbal tiff with him. In anger he fired four shots, one of which hit Pramod in the chest and at least two his stomach.
Pravin owns a Brownie pistol, which is licensed in Thane, where he stays with wife Sarangi and two children - a son and a daughter.
Pravin, whose family belongs to a village near Ambejogai town in Beed district, was brought up by Pramod in Mumbai, where he completed his graduation in science.
Since Pravin was not well-off, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader had reportedly purchased an apartment for him in the Naupada area of Thane 10 years ago, sources said.
Thane police have tightened security outside Jinja apartments, where Pravin stayed, to prevent any flare-up.
Meanwhile, Sarangi, wife of Pravin, has closeted herself with the children and the only relatives present in the apartment are Pravin's brother-in-law and family, who have recently arrived from Nagpur.
Additional inputs: PTI