Two unidentified gunmen on Monday fired at leading criminal lawyer Majid Memon outside his residence at Almira Road in Mumbai's suburban Bandra but he escaped unhurt, police said.

The attackers, on a motorbike, fired at the lawyer and his son outside their house when they were getting into a car to go to court. The rear glass of the vehicle was shattered, police added.

Memon's police security guard returned fire but the assailants managed to escape on their motorbike. A manhunt has been launched to trace them, they said.

Memon is defending several persons detained under POTA in many high profile cases, including those related to bomb blasts in Mumbai. He was recently provided security following intelligence reports that the underworld had plans to eliminate him. Initially, he had refused to take the security cover but later accepted it.

The Ravi Pujari gang has owned responsibilty for attack on Memon, police sources said.

Pujari, former Chota Rajan man, who is now operating his own gang from Australia, is reported to have called up a journalist of a television channel minutes after the shoot out claiming responsibility for the attack, sources added.

Pujari is reported to have told that his men attacked Memon since he defended accused in the December 2002 Ghatkopar bomb blast.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police Dhannajay Kamlakar Mumbai Crime Branch said that their intelligence report about threat to Memon from the underworld has proved to be correct.

"We had specific information about threats to Memon and therefore had provided armed security to him. In fact the retaliatory fire by the police gunmen prevented any further attack by the unidentified shooters", he told PTI.