Mid Day
Mumbai, Nov 1: Had the emergency police number (100) not played a pre-recorded cassette or had Lalit D'Souza been able to get through to the local Cuffe Parade police station, Lorna D'Souza may not have been battling for life today.
In his statement to the police, Lalit has claimed that he tried calling the police when he realised Lorna was getting violent on Saturday night.
Lalit said he was trying both numbers from his cellphone. When he failed to connect to either number, he asked two society watchmen to keep trying to call the Cuffe Parade police from the landline.
But just as he asked the guards to call the cops, Lorna pounced on him, claimed Lalit. "I was scared and I emptied all the bullets from the revolver into Lorna," he told the police.
After shooting his sister, Lalit rushed to his apartment and told his girlfriend Natasha about the incident. Asking her to leave, Lalit returned to where Lorna had collapsed, said a police officer.
"I thought of taking her to the hospital, but was scared that if something happened to her on the way, I would be held responsible. I went to the police station instead," Lalit said in his statement.
Lorna, who is still in critical condition, continues to be in the ICU at Bombay Hospital.
Who gets what?
Lalit also told the police that apart from the flat in Sayonara Building, Cuffe Parade, his father owned five hotels.
After their father's death in 2003, Lorna filed a case in the Bombay High Court for division of property.
Following the court's orders, the property was divided with the consent of all the parties involved. Lorna got Lalit Bar and Restaurant in Fort, Laura got Lalit Refreshment at Peta Street in Fort and Lalit got Lalit Bar and Restaurant, Lalit Refreshment both on Dalal Street and Lalit Refreshment at Ganbo Street in Fort.
As per the court's directions, Lalit also paid Rs 25,000 every month to his eldest married sister Lavina.