Tension grips neighbourhood as man opens fire

An atmosphere of unease gripped the residents of Lagumappa Layout, southeast Bengaluru, as they woke up hearing the sound of gunshots and shattering window panes in the wee hours of Sunday.

The terrified residents who managed to step out of their houses around 1.45 am spotted a man in his late twenties brandishing a pistol. He was asking for two persons - Latha and Purushottam - calling out their names loud.

The miscreant who came on a black Pulsar motorcycle, pointed the pistol at the tenants at a group of rented houses, owned by three brothers -- K L Shankar, K L Venkateshappa and K L Appayappa.

The houses are situated in Govinda Shetty Palya in Parappana Agraha, Electronic City Phase 2, the police said.

When the residents tried to engage with the armed man, he fired a few rounds in the air.

According to the police, on Sunday late night, Lokesh, a relative of the landlord brothers received a call from Pawan, one of their tenants. He told Lokesh that an armed miscreant, searching for someone staying in their house, was enquiring about two people in Kannada in a suspicious manner.

Within a few minutes, more and more tenants of the building gathered. By then, the armed man seemed restless. When the residents tried to stop him and inquire, he threatened Lokesh with the pistol.

When some of the tenants tried to rescue Lokesh, the man jumped a compound wall and entered an under-construction building in the neighbourhood.

A few followed him to the under-construction building when he pointed the gun at them and threatened to shoot. When they kept pursuing, he fired a round at Lokesh.

However, the bullet missed Lokesh. As it was dark, the man managed to escape thereafter. Parappana Agrahara police registered a case under the Arms Act and are investigating further.