Ravishankar may not be target: HM, Police; Guru says he has forgiven attacker

Bangalore/New Delhi, May 31 (PTI) A day after a bullet was
fired in Bangalore ashram of Sri Sri Ravishankar, different
versions emerged Monday with Indian Home Minister P
Chidambaram and Karnataka police saying he may not have been
the target and the spiritual guru suggesting the attack was
aimed at him.
Chidambaram and the police also suggested that internal
rivalry may have led to the incident but the popular
54-year-old Ravishankar dismissed this assessment calling it
'baseless'.
"Police cannot absolve itself of its responsibility by
taking it lightly. It has to be investigated properly. The
fact is that the bullet was fired in the direction of my car
and a devotee has been injured. It has to be taken seriously
and probed," Ravishankar said in Bangalore. The spiritual guru
also said he has forgiven the attacker.
As the bigger picture on the popular guru escaping unhurt
in the wake of the firing at his convoy at the Ashram after
his discourse last evening emerged, Chidambaram said he "may
not" have been the target and in all probability it could be
the result of a dispute between two of his disciples.
Questions were also raised over the apparent delay in
reporting the incident to police and whether the firing had
occured when the convoy was in the Ashram.
Karnataka DGP Ajaikumar Singh downplayed the firing by an
unidentified person saying it was an "incident" and that it
was not a "targeted attack" on Ravishankar.
"I do not call it an attack. It is an incident." Singh
told reporters in Bangalore. He said a case has been
registered under 304 IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to
murder) and the Arms Act.
Asked to comment on the incident, Chidambaram told
reporters in New Delhi, "Our reports says that the incident
took place after Sri Sri Ravishankar left the place in his car
and, therefore, it may not be correct, I underline, may not be
correct to say that the firing was aimed at him."
The Home Minister said an oral report has been received
in the incident but a written report is expected.
"It seems to be a dispute or a brawl between two of his
followers. One of them has been injured in his thigh but is
not in danger," he said. The injured devotee was discharged
after first aid at a local hospital, Police said.
Ravishankar said, "Let us not speculate on this. It
cannot be brushed off as some personal enmity. I am very hurt
at such reports."
Giving details about the firing, Singh said the bullet
was fired from about 700 to 750 feet away and so far no body
has claimed to have seen the attacker.
He said the ammunition found at the site is of '.32
bore'.
The incident of firing occurred between 6.05 PM and 6.10
PM (local time) and at least five minutes after Ravishankar's
convoy had left the spot, Singh said.
But Secretary to Ravi Shankar Girin Govind said the
firing took place when Guruji had just boarded the car and
closed the door and not after the convoy left.
Ravishankar, who carried on with his regular programmes,
said, "I heard a loud noise. But I was in my usual calm
self. My driver had a premonition that there could be some
kind of attack on me".
"I do not have enemies. However, whoever has done this,
I forgive him. I give him amnesty.I invite him to join our
satsang course. I will teach him meditation and Sudarshan
Kriya (a breathing technique popularised by him)," he said.
PTI