As per Bharati’s complaint to the police, on Friday night, the doorbell rang at around 11 pm. “My sister Charulata and I went to see who had rung the bell. Charulata opened the door. I was a couple of feet behind her. On opening the door, we saw two men in their early twenties outside. They told Charulata that they wanted to meet me for seeking jobs.”

They allegedly told her they had been sent by one ‘Sharifbhai’.” On hearing this, Bharati told them that if they had any official work, they should meet her at her office the next day during business hours and not at home at such late hours. “They asked for my cell number. I gave it to them. When Charulata was closing the door, one of the men told the other to ‘take it out’. The second man took out a countrymade revolver and fired a round at the door at point blank range. Charluata suffered minor injuries on her face caused by powder burns from the gun discharge.”

They fled and Bharati contacted the police. The cops reached her residence to take her statement.

Asked if there was anyone whom she suspected, Bharati said, “In the BMC elections, a contestant had provided a false caste certificate. I had raised objections with the committee. The husband of this woman is the person whom I suspect of being behind the attack.”

Asked whether the man she suspected or any of his men had threatened her, she said, “I haven’t received any threats so far, but I do not have any rivals or enemies who would wish me harm except for that person and his people.”