MUMBAI, March 7 -- The licensed pistol, held by businessman Rajiv M Ranjan on February 25, malfunctioned, resulting in an accidental discharge of bullets at his Goregaon residence, his lawyer has claimed.

Advocate Suraj Gothwal told reporters on Wednesday that his client has been a responsible arms licence holder for the last 11 years. "The possession of weapons is solely for self-defence and sporting activities. There has never been any display or misuse of the said licensed weapons."

There was no domestic dispute between Ranjan, operations head of eBullion company, and his wife and the police were called in as a precaution by a family friend, Bobby Sharma, at the insistence of housing society members, Gothwal claimed.

"The incident i...