KOCHI: The Kochi City Police will record a detailed statement of actress Leena Maria Paul, owner of The Nail Artistry parlour in Panampilly Nagar where two miscreants opened fire on Saturday. Forensic experts found one .22 calibre pellet from the spot. According to the police, Leena will reach Kochi on Monday.
“There was a small black spot on the wall which might have appeared after the firing. We will get a clearer picture of the incident only when we take the statement of the actress. Only then can we look into whether a gang was hired or if it was just some locals triggering panic in the area,” said DCP J Himendranath. The miscreants had left a piece of paper with the name of Mumbai-based underworld don Ravi Poojari, which was thought to be a message for the actress.
“It can only be confirmed once we crosscheck and verify her statement. The paper can be misleading. There was a complaint by the woman, not directly, that she had received threatening calls in the name of Ravi Poojari demanding money. We have to find out whether it was his gang members. There is also the possibility that somebody who wants to extort money from her might have tried to using local goons in the district to do so,” said the DCP.
The police have not been able to trace the miscreants yet. According to the police, it is a difficult task to trace the accused as their faces were covered and the motorcycle did not have a number plate. The police have collected CCTV visuals from all across the route they travelled.The incident took place on Saturday evening when two bike-borne miscreants walked up to the building at Panampilly Nagar and fired a couple of shots from the stairs and escaped.