The attempted murder on the anti-crime watchdog MyWatch chairman in Bahau, Negeri Sembilan yesterday, may have been the work of the underworld bent on exacting revenge.

The police have not ruled this out as R. Sri Sanjeevan, 29, had previously, alerted the police on illegal gambling activities in the state, especially in Jelebu and Jempol.

As a result, he had received death threats and reported the matter to the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman, among others.

State police chief Datuk Osman Salleh said the police were looking into several motives to facilitate investigations into the attempted murder on Sri Sanjeevan in Taman Chempaka about 4.30pm.

He said the police had also recorded a statement from Sri Sanjeevan's friend who was with him when a gunman and his accomplice made an attempt on the life of the MyWatch chairman.

In the incident, Sri Sanjeevan was driving his silver BMW, with the friend in tow, when he decided to wind down the driver's window for a puff at Taman Awana Indah.

At that juncture, two men on a red Yamaha LC motorcycle and wearing full-faced crash helmets, drew alongside the car before the pillion rider shot the victim in the right side of the abdomen at close range.

Osman said Sri Sanjeevan was warded at the Jempol Hospital before he was transferred to the Tuanku Ja'afar Hospital where his condition was described as critical but stable.

He said the victim would undergo surgery to remove the slug from his abdomen later today, adding that he was given round-the-clock police protection at the hospital.

Meanwhile, a special task force has been set up to investigate the attemtped murder. It is headed by Bukit Aman CID director Datuk Hadi Ho Abdullah. Former inspector-general of police Tan Sri Musa Hassan is the patron of MyWatch.

Meanwhile, Osman said Sri Sanjeevan's friend who was with him at the time of the shooting incident, was detained to facilitate investigations into a drug-related offence which he allegedly committed, about a year ago.