Gandhinagar, Aug 19 (IANS): The Gujarat anti-terror squad (ATS) and the Crime Branch in a joint operation nabbed a person believed to be a sharpshooter of the notorious underworld don Chhota Shakeel from a hotel in Ahmedabad.

The police claim that the sharpshooter was hired to kill the former BJP Home Minister Gordhan Zadaphia.

"The Gujarat ATS had received an input that one person had entered the state of Gujarat, hired to kill one BJP leader of Gujarat. Based on these inputs, the ATS and crime branch raided a hotel in Ahmedabad. A dubious person armed with a pistol found in one of the rented rooms, was nabbed after a brief shootout," said Pradipsinh Jadeja, the minister of state for home, Gujarat.

"Based on technical interrogation of this person, it seems that he had been hired to kill our leader and former Home Minister Gordhan Zadaphia. We have informed Zadaphia and have stepped up his security," added Jadeja.

According to the police investigation, there were two culprits, one of whom managed to escape.

"The police department frequently gets such inputs of our leaders being targeted. Because of the alertness of the police one person has been nabbed," added Jadeja.