Shootout near ISRO centre causes 'concern'

Bengaluru: Two persons moving around in a suspicious manner near a key ISRO facility on the outskirts of the city fired at security personnel in the wee hours on Tuesday after which the guards retaliated but the duo escaped.

ISRO sources said the security personnel challenged the two when they found them moving around in a suspicious manner.

The duo fired at them with a small pistol, after which the security guards retaliated. The incident occurred between 3.30 am and 4.00 am, they said.

This ISRO facility houses the Indian Deep Space Network and tracking station for ISRO's satellite missions. Security was in place and the attempt to attack the guards was foiled, S Satish, a spokesperson of the organisation, told PTI.

A police complaint has been launched and investigation is on.

A top CISF official said an ISRO security man spotted the two keeping a close watch on the installation and challenged them but the duo fired two rounds at him. He retaliated and fired two rounds, he said.

"The security man then changed position and fired some more rounds. Even before reinforcements could arrive, the two fled," the official said.

The Inspector General of Police (central range) and DIG of CISF, which is in charge of security at airports and vital installations, visited the area.

The Indian Deep Space Network, commissioned in 2008 at Byalalu village near Bangalore, is the ground segment for providing deep space support for India's first Lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1.

The technical facilities in IDSN include a 32-metre Deep Space Antenna, an 18-metre Antenna Terminal, an 11-metre Antenna Terminal, Indian Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC) and a Technical Services complex.

The IDSN is the first of its kind project in India that provides ISRO the capability to handle deep space missions and also provides cross support to other deep space missions of external space agencies because of its inter-operable features and sophisticated capabilities.

Reasons to worry: