Sangma, wife escape security quot;attackquot;

The defence release said the Assam Rifles personnel, while patrolling the area, noticed a few armed persons, who were in fact the security officers dressed in civil clothes and challenged them.

Both sides then took positions and an exchange of fire took place for a few minutes before both parties realised their mistake and stopped firing, the release added.

Talking to PTI here, Sangma said he and his wife did not stay at the room booked earlier, adding had he stayed in that room, he and his wife would have been killed.

He said the room booked earlier was attacked by Assam Rifles personnel who mistook Sangma8217;s security guards as armed extremists and opened fire at them.

8220;I have no personal grudge against anybody. I am innocent. I know it was not not a personal attack but my wife and I had miraculous escape,8221; the former Lok Sabha speaker said before leaving for Guwahati.

Sangma said the Assam Rifles commandant deployed at Moreh had talked to him and apologised. Sangma said he had told them not to make such a mistake in future.

Commander of Sangma8217;s security escort, Mani Singh, said the Assam Rifles personnel opened fire at the rest house where Sangma was staying. He said the security guards were at the rest house complex when more than 25 shots were fired at the security guards. They later recovered 12 to 15 spent bullets from the area.

Singh said security guards too returned fire but at that time, the Assam Rifles personnel realised that the incident took place all because of mistaken identity8217;.

He said the Assam Rifles commandant came to the rest house and asked the security guards not to get angry.

Mani said two security guards belonging to Manipur Rifles suffered minor bullet injuries on their hands and were given first aid. One self-loading rifle was destroyed by the bullets and a vehicle parked nearby was partly damaged.

The Moreh police personnel came at 10 pm on Tuesday to investigate into the incident, he said, adding that he would file a case in this connection with police though he had been asked by Assam Rifles personnel not to do so.