Mumbai, March 4 (IANS) Pravin Mahajan, who was sentenced to life for killing his elder brother Pramod Mahajan and died after a prolonged illness at a Thane hospital, was cremated Thursday with only a few friends and some immediate family in attendance.

Other than his brother Prakash, members of the extended Mahajan clan or those from the family of Gopinath Munde, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and his brother-in-law, were conspicuous by their absence. Munde, who is married to Pravin's sister, had expressed regrets over the death.

Political leaders from all other parties - except Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Ram Kadam - also kept away from the funeral.

A few personal friends of Pravin, 50, and relatives of his widow Sarangi were present when son Kapil lit the funeral pyre amidst the chanting of Vedic hymns at the Muktidham Crematorium in Thane.

Prakash Mahajan had told reporters in the morning that the Mahajan family would bear all the medical expenses during Pravin's 82-day stay in the intensive care unit of the Jupiter Hospital.

Pravin's body was brought to Thane from the Sir J.J. Hospital in Mumbai where it had been taken for an autopsy Wednesday night and handed over to the family this morning.

Pravin, sentenced to life imprisonment in 2007 for killing his elder brother and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pramod Mahajan, died Wednesday evening after remaining in coma for nearly three months.

In a dramatic murder that shocked the country, Pravin had shot his elder brother and BJP leader Pramod Mahajan on April 22, 2006, in his Mumbai home. The high-profile BJP leader succumbed to his bullet wounds 11 days later on May 3.

Shortly after committing the crime, Pravin walked down to the Worli police station and surrendered with his weapon.

He was sentenced to life by a sessions court for fratricide on Dec 18, 2007.