Police said 45-year-old Gopal Chandu Pujari, owner of Saffire Bar on Raja Rammohan Roy Road, was at the counter around 7.30 pm, when four unidentified persons entered and fired five rounds at him. They quickly disappeared from the scene of crime.

Pujari, who was hit in the head and chest, was rushed to Nair Hospital, where he succumbed to injuries.

Though initial investigations provided little insight into the murder, police suspect the killing could be the fallout of some previous enmity. The area has been cordoned off, and combing operations were on when reports last came in. Six-foot tall, strong and well-built, Pujari had been the bodyguard of Dawood Ibrahim's financers, Arvind Dholakia and Mahesh Dholakia. The police believe Pujari was still involved in settling matters for the underworld and in several shady transactions.

Joint commissioner of police (crime) D Shivanandan said: ``Thekillers are suspected to be members of the Ashwin Naik gang. Eyewitnesses have identified them, and we have launched a manhunt.''

In another incident, a housewife was robbed of cash and gold worth Rs 10.47 lakh by a former servant at Gamdevi on Friday afternoon. According to the police, Shashikala Thakkar was alone in her flat, when her former servant Shankar knocked at the door at around 12.30 noon. He enquired about one Balu and insisted on meeting him. Once he had gained entry in the house under this false pretext, Shankar was joined by three other unidentified persons, who whipped out Rampuri knives and threatened Thakkar.

One of the assailants snatched the keys of the cupboard from Thakkar. Preliminary investigations revealed that cash worth Rs 22,500 and gold and diamonds worth Rs 10,47,500 were looted.

No arrests have been made so far, though a dragnet has been spread to nab Shankar and his aides.