Thursday, December 29 2005 10:11 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Suspected terrorists barged into the prestigious Indian Institute of Science campus here last evening (Dec 28, 2005) and opened fire indiscriminately killing a retired professor of IIT Delhi and injuring four others.

Prof M C Puri, Professor Emiratus of Mathematics Department of IIT Delhi, fell a victim as the gunmen sprayed bullets from an AK-47 rifle as delegates attending an international conference were proceeding for dinner outside the J N Tata Auditorium at around 07.20 pm.

Four others, Pankaj Gupta from Delhi, Patalappa (alias Patel) working for Cadilla Pharmaceutical firm, Vijay Chandru, involved in the team that developed hand-held computer 'Simputer' and Sonia, from IIM Lucknow were injured.

The four were operated upon at M S Ramaiah Memorial Hospital and Mallige hospital and were reported to be out of danger.

Sources said the possibility of the attack being the handiwork of terrorists could not be ruled out given the nature of automatic weapon used in the strike and the recovery of a grenade. The institute is on the hit list of terror groups, including Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Karnataka Director General of Police B S Sial, quoting security guards in the campus and eyewitnesses, said not more than one person was involved in the attack but added that the claims would be checked again.

Asked if it was a terror attack, Sial said, "As a normal person, I can say some terrorist is involved."

Sial said magazines and a live indigenously made grenade in a cotton pouch were left behind at the scene of the attack, the first such strike in Bangalore, the country's technology hub. The AK-47 rifle was also recovered.

As many as 36 foreign delegates and 250-260 Indian experts were attending the conference. Sail said it appeared that there was no specific target.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), M C Narayana Gowda said four to five persons came in a white Ambassador car and opened fire from automatic weapons as delegates emerged out of the auditorium after the day's proceedings.

In New Delhi, Union Home Ministry officials held an emergency meeting to take stock of the situation after the attack.

Soon after the attack, Bangalore was placed on high alert and police formed a special team to hunt the culprits and announced a 'handsome reward' for those providing information leading to their arrest.

Karnataka Chief Minister N Dharam Singh, who apprised the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil of the incident, has convened a high-level meeting today to discuss security measures in Bangalore.

President A P J Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed shock over the incident and condoled the death of 64-year-old Puri.