Bangalore, December 28
A 20-year-old college student who “accidentally” intruded into the Army premises was shot dead by the sentries on guard here today.
Studying commerce at local Baldwin College, Mohammad Mukarram was trying some daredevil act on his motorcycle when the police chased him. The frightened student abandoned his bike and then jumped into the compound of the Flag Staff House on the Airport Road in his bid to flee.
The sentries on guard the establishment asked Mukarram to surrender and fired at him when he did not. He was taken to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
City Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari told the Tribune that Mukarram had behaved in “an utterly foolish manner”. Bidari, who visited the Flag Staff House as well as the hospital where Mukarram was taken, said the slain student did not heed the warnings of the sentries.
“He jumped into the compound and then climbed to the top of the Flag Staff House without answering the warning calls of the sentries,” Bidari said. He said after climbing to the top of the house, Mukarram also made a call to a friend from his mobile, probably asking the latter to come to his rescue.
Brigadier PS Ravindranath, who looks after the Karnataka and Kerala sub-area of the Army, lives in the compound.
A release issued by the Ministry of Defence said: “Flag Staff House was intruded by a man being chased by the police. When the intruder did not heed the armed guard's warning to surrender, he was shot at. The police are investigating the case.”
