Masked man opens fire in a jewellery shop, flees

A masked man entered a jewellery shop in the heart of the city and fired three rounds here on Friday.

Superintendent of Police Y.S. Ravi Kumar told The Hindu that he came on a motorcycle and stopped near Airody Jewellers (P) Ltd. on the Sanskrit College Road at around 7.30 p.m.

He alighted from his motorcycle and rushed pass the security guard Vittal Poojary and went inside the jewellery shop.

Narrow escape

He then fired two rounds from his pistol, but the accountant of the shop, Anantapadmanabha, ducked.

Only one bullet brushed his body. By then the guard tried to stop the masked man from firing.

But he pushed him aside and fired a round from his pistol outside the shop. But Mr. Poojary too escaped the bullet. The masked man then ran to his motorcycle and escaped through the narrow road near the shop.

The police rushed to the spot. A dog squad and fingerprint experts were pressed into service at the spot of the crime.

A case has been registered at Udupi Town Police Station and further investigations into the case are on.

“No one has been injured in the incident. It is unlikely that the masked man came to rob the shop.

Past enmity too has been ruled out. We have to ascertain the exact reason for the crime,” Mr. Kumar said.