New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS): A Delhi BJP legislator Wednesday grappled with an assailant who later shot at him thrice, police said, adding that the legislator escaped unharmed.

The MLA, Jitender Singh Shunty, was attacked outside his Shahdara home at about 6 a.m. He represents Shahdara assembly segment.

Police sources said an unidentified man wearing a helmet rang the doorbell and called out Shunty, asking him to attest some documents.

"Some of the papers fell on the ground and when I got up after picking them, (the assailant) was pointing a pistol at me. I managed to grab his arm before he could fire and we struggled for a while before I ran," Shunty told IANS.

Shunty dashed towards his home. It was then that three shots were fired, following which the assailant fled from the spot. All the bullets missed their mark.

The legislator banged on his house's door and his son Manish opened the door. Shunty's personnel security men also reached outside the home with other family members.

One of the neighbour made a call to police about the incident.

A witness Mahavir Choudhary, told IANS: "I saw the assailants running in the street. He passed by my dairy and got into in a white colour Verna car, bearing a Haryana number."

The 48-year-old dairy owner, Choudhary, is being questioned by the police as he is the only person who saw the assailant's face.

"I saw his face, but I am not sure I could identify him. I even could not note down the number of the car in which he fled," Choudhary told IANS.

"We found three empty cartridge shells...," a police official said.

As the entire incident was captured in a CCTV camera installed outside the house of the legislator, the police have taken its footage. They are also scrutinising three more CCTV cameras installed in the street in which the assailant fled.

Police are probing all angles including enmity and involvement of any insider.

Shunty said: "I have no enmity with anybody."

"One thing is clear that the assailant knew that the legislator will surely come out of his home after hearing the door bell," said another police official.

Shunty's wife Manjeet told IANS: "My husband was shot at near our house in March 2007 during a meeting, but was not hurt. At that time, he was contesting municipal elections as an independent candidate."

"In 2008, he was attacked again and an year ago he was threatened by an unknown person over his mobile phone," said Manjeet.

The legislator's family has demanded security for the legislator.