Pampati, who is in his 50s, however, was saved by his chauffeur Ram Kumar Rai. Gunmen had opened fire at Pampati from a few yards´ distance. [break]
This is the fifth incident of gunfire in the capital in over less than two months and the fourth targeting entrepreneurs. The incident took place merely 24 hours after media entrepreneur Arun Singhaniya was shot dead in Janakpur.
The assailants had opened fire at Pampati´s Range Rover (Ba 6 Cha 9999) at around 6:15 pm even as he was approaching his rented house, according to an eyewitness. The bullet hit a windowpane inches behind the back seat where Pampati was seated. The bike used by the assailants seemed to have had a distorted number plate, said eyewitnesses.
As explained by an aide to Pampati, chauffeur Rai had apparently seen the black Pulsar bike following them closely and even noticed the pillion-rider cock the weapon and take aim. As a single gunshot hit the side window, he sped the vehicle toward Samakhushi. As the Range Rover was blocked by another vehicle in the narrow alley, the gunmen again came along on the side and cocked the weapon.
“Then it was very wise of the chauffeur to reverse the vehicle instantly. As the assailants were about to be trapped in a traffic jam, they fled the scene,” Pampati´s aide added. “We praise Rai whole-heartedly.”
A golf lover, Pampati was returning from his regular session at Gokarna Golf Resort and luckily seated on the rear seat as he was accompanied by another friend up to Durbarmarg.
According to his close aides, Pampati was not known to have received any kind of threat in recent days.
Pampati, who hails from Hyderabad in India, has been looking after the COMS head office in the capital while his brothers have taken charge of the college in Bharatpur, Chitwan, which was established in 1996.
The police sprung to action quicker than the incident in which media baron Jamim Shah was killed in broad daylight in Lazimpat on February 7. The area was sealed within 15 minutes.
According to AIG Madan Khadka, metropolitan police commissioner, hundreds of pulsar bikes have been seized for investigation and some 500 security persons deployed to track down the culprits.
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