One person was killed and five others injured when an unidentified attacker opened indiscriminate fire outside the JN Tata Auditorium on the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) campus on Wednesday evening. The deceased, Prof MC Puri, was an Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at IIT-Delhi. 

The attacker, who reportedly came in an Ambassador car, opened fire at the faculty members when they were coming out of the auditorium after attending an international conference at around 7:30 p.m. The injured, Prof Venkatesh, Prof Vijay Chandru, Prof Pankaj Gupta, Prof Sangeeta and Vijay Patil, were stated to be out of danger. 

Prof Chandru was part of the team that founded the hand-held, Linux-based 'Simputer'. Following the incident, the injured were rushed to Mallige and MS Ramaiah Hospitals here. Prof Puri, who was seriously injured, died at the Ramiaiah Hospital. 

The attacker, who escaped after the incident, used an automatic firearm, reportedly an AK-47, for the attack. Magazines, spent cartridges, an automatic rifle and a live hand-grenade were later recovered from the scene.

A statewide alert was issued following the incident. Bangalore police commissioner Ajai Kumar Singh said the police was trying to ascertain whether this was a terrorist attack. 

Karnataka chief minister N Dharam Singh had called a meeting of top police officers and other officials yesterday to discuss the incident and to review the security situation in the state.

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