Undertrial Snatches Rifle, Fires 23 Rounds Inside NIMHANS

An undertrial snatched a rifle from a guard inside the NIMHANS campus, fired indiscriminately.

Huge security scare at the NIMHANS campus in Bengaluru, where an undertrial randomly opened fire for several hours on Sunday evening (Photo: NIMHANS) 

High drama was created in the peaceful campus of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, where a mentally unstable undertrial snatched the rifle of a security guard and indiscriminately fired 23 rounds inside the campus. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the incident.

The 22 year old gunman, identified as Vishwanath, was suffering from a mental illness and was brought to NIMHANS for psychiatric evaluation. Around 3 pm, he went to the washroom for which his handcuffs were removed, and on coming out he caught hold of a rifle and started firing randomly. The Police confirmed that he has been shot and neutralised by the Garuda Force (Anti-Terror Squad) and is currently undergoing surgery in NIMHANS.

He opened fire every 10 minutes from the window, aiming directly at the nurses’ bay, where one doctor and three nurses were hiding. The NIMHANS staff lay flat on the ground for several hours to save themselves from the stray bullets. Police officials managed to chase him to an empty room and after an hour of struggle, cops shot at him and then immediately rushed him to the ICU.

Doctors at the Institute say he is in a very critical condition.