Mystery shrouds ISRO shooting

A mysterious shooting incident at a ISRO facility in the early hours near Bangalore threw up conflicting versions with a CISF guard claiming that two unidentified persons shot at him while the police raised serious doubts.

Home Minister P Chidambaram and the Karnataka Police ruled out any terror angle to the incident that initially raised security fears in the City which is on the terror radar.

ISRO sources said a CISF constable Jadhav at the Indian Deep Space Network facility at Byalalu reported spotting two men in khaki uniform, saying they fired at him with small pistols and that he had retaliated.

The facility has a tracking station for ISRO's satellite missions.

"There are no signs of any firing from outside, certainly there was no evidence of firing on the outside walls of the ISRO facility", ADGP (Law and Order) A R Infant told reporters.

"On the face of it does not appear to be a terror attack',he said. Replying to a question, he said the police would inquire whether Constable Jadhav was "hallucinating".

No bullet marks were found on the boundary walls nor were there any empty cartridges at the spot from where the duo reportedly opened fire, he said, doubting the claim of CISF constable Jhadav that he returned fire from the main gate during the incident that purportedly took place at 3.20 am.

Two other CISF personnel on duty were not at the spot during the alleged firing and came there later.

Police have recovered six empty cartridges out of the eight rounds Jhadav fired, Infant said adding the constable and other security personnel and staff were being questioned. "There is no cause for panic whatsover," he said.

In Delhi, the home ministry said it has sought a report from the Karnataka government on the sequence of events.

Based on preliminary information, Chidambaram said in the morning, "This seems to be an amateurish attempt made by two men with country-made pistols."

Asked if the incident was like a terror attack, Chidambaram told reporters outside Parliament in New Delhi, "Well what else do you call it at the moment."

"At the moment you can only call it as an attack. Whether it was terrorist or somebody else we will know," he added.