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Commandos at NIMHANS. (TOI photo)

BENGALURU: Vishwanath, a 22-year-old undertrial undergoing psychiatric treatment at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) fired 23 rounds from a guardroom on Sunday afternoon, causing panic in the campus.He had snatched a .303 Lee-Enfield rifle from an escorting constable at about 3.45pm when he was taken to the toilet. Unable to overpower him, the three constables locked him in the guardroom from where he fired multiple gunshots for over three hours.Later, the Internal Security Divisions Garuda Commandos, raised to tackle terrorists arrived and neutralized him after firing at him.He was attacked by the commandos with two bursts at 6.45pm and was then rushed to the emergency section in critical condition.He later succumbed to his injuries.Police Commissioner NS Megharikh said: “He has been a regular patient at Nimhans. His handcuff were removed when he was taken to the toilet. When he came out, he snatched a rifle from one of our constables. The three constables there could not overpower him (as he was strong) and instead they left him and the weapon in the guardroom and locked it.”Once inside, Vishwanath first fired from the rifle he had snatched from the constable. “The guardroom had four other rifles and 100 bullets. Vishwanath began loading the rifles one after the other and began firing indiscriminately. Nobody has been injured. He kept firing at the ceiling, walls and he even fired two rounds on the ground,” Megharikh said.A 303 rifle can fire only one bullet at a time and needs a reloading after every shot. The question about how Vishwanath knew to handle the gun remains unanswered.The police on the spot could only guard the area preventing other patients and hospital staff from going near the room as Vishwanath kept firing at regular intervals. One of the constables tried consoling Vishwanath, by talking to him about his family, his mother Bhagyamma but all in vain.Once the Garuda Force arrived and took over the operation, they moved into the room and fired at him.“They took a big risk,” Megharikh said.Vishwanath had been in prison for three years in connection with two arson cases booked under section 435 of the IPC--Whoever commits mischief by fire or any explosive substance intending to cause, or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby cause, damage to any property to the amount of one hundred rupees or upwards (or where the property is agricultural produce, ten rupees or upwards).With the guardroom and corridors leading to it all blocked there were many rumours that did the rounds initially with news that the prisoner had laid his hands on a self-loading rifle (SLR) causing panic.