BANGALORE: The police, probing the Thursday's fatal shooting at Shabnam Developers, have not been able to get definite leads as K.S. Samiullah, former corporator and proprietor of the real estate agency, is reportedly not forthcoming about his business dealings.

Investigators suspect that dispute over real estate deals could be the main reason behind the attack in which two employees of Shabnam Developers, Ravi and Shylaja, were shot dead.

As Mr. Samiullah is tight-lipped about his business dealings and also disputes, if any, they have not been able to make much headway, sources in the city police told The Hindu on Monday. Though the involvement of the Mumbai gangster Ravi Poojary, who has claimed responsibility for the attack, cannot be ruled out, the same is yet to be corroborated.

The gunmen had left a visiting card at Shabnam Developers. Investigation has revealed that some phone calls were made from Bangalore to the numbers in a foreign nation that were mentioned in the visiting card, the sources said.

Mr. Samiullah has claimed that he has not received threatening or extortion calls from Poojary or any other underworld operators.

The police are also investigating whether the dispute over a piece of prime property on Bannerghatta Road, in which Mr. Samiullah was reportedly involved, led to the attack.

When contacted, Commissioner of Police Neelam Achuta Rao said no "tangible progress" has been made so far though the police have obtained some leads.

Meanwhile, a police team from the city has questioned five accomplices of Poojary who are lodged in Mumbai prison.

The police are also probing whether some people acquitted in the murder of realtor Subbaraju have a hand in the incident.

Subbaraju was shot dead at his office on Seshadripuram Main Road on January 5, 2001 following a dispute over a piece of property on Cunningham Road.

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