Ranchi, May 13: Unidentified gunmen shot at and injured Lalit Mahto, a former All Jharkhand Students? Union (AJSU) president and a confidant of home minister Sudesh Mahto, at his residence at Raidih under Tamar police station in the early hours today.

The incident took place around 12.30 am.

Mahto has been shifted to Rims and was operated upon.

According to the doctors attending to him, his condition is stable at present.

Sources in the police said Mahto was fast asleep in the verandah of his residence when he heard a gun shot.

?According to the statement he gave to police, soon he saw himself bleeding,? said sources.

?He is lucky to have survived the attack. The bullet grazed the left side of his neck. We have found a 9 mm empty cartridge from the spot,? said police officials.

?The family members of Mahto had seen two men fleeing from the spot. We first took him to the local government hospital from where he was referred to Rims.

Sources said the police are investigating into all possible angles of the attack. ?It is possible that that attack could have been motivated by some personal enmity,? sources said.