Imphal, January 20 2009: A 76-year old man was wounded today when police commandos in civil dress opened fire while chasing another police commando, also in civvies, who refused to stop his motor-cycle and tried to escape around 10 am at Wangkhei Angom Leikai in Imphal east district.

The police commando in civil was picked up by a team of Imphal East police commandos later.

The police commandos in civil dress who opened fire vanished from the spot after firing a few rounds.

The old man named Thongam Thambou of Wangkhei Angom Leikai, who sustained a bullet injury in his waist was immediately rushed to the RIMS Hospital.

He was hit by the bullet while passing by on the road.

He is yet to be operated on.

Doctors said, the bullet pierced through vital parts of the body and remained lodged inside.

His condition is critical, Doctors opined.

The incident occurred around 10 am.

Police sources said that four commando personnel of Imphal West District Police in civil dress were standing at the Angom Leikai lane at Wangkhei area along the Imphal-Yairipok road looking out for any suspicious movement of underground elements as part of the tightened security measures.

When they saw a man coming on a motor-cycle, they ordered him to stop.

But as the man, who was also a commando of Imphal East District Police Commando, got suspicious of the men in civil dress, did not stop, instead tried to escape by speeding up the engine.

Then the first group of police commandos shot a few rounds at the escaping man.

One of the bullets hit the old man.

Locals who witnessed the incident said defying the police signal, the youth sped up his motorcycle in a bid to escape resulting in the firing.

However, they said, they did not know that the four persons who came in a Getz car were police commandos.

It was only after they opened fire, they identified themselves as police commandos, the locals added.

The youth also while escaping, whisked out a handgun and shot at the four commandos in civil.

However, the civil police commandos left the spot immediately without saying anything.

They did not even look at the injured old man.

But another team of commandos from Imphal east police rushed to the spot and picked up the youth who was found hiding in a house nearby.

The incident occurred amidst the tightened security measures taken up in the state particularly in greater Imphal area ahead of the Republic Day celebration.