Two motorcycle-borne youths suddenly opened fire on a local scrap dealer outside his house in the civil township last evening.

The victim, Ramji Biswal, who is in his 60s, suffered minor injuries and is out of danger.

Biswal, who deals with railway scrap, was busy talking to someone on mobile phone outside his house at D-9 in the civil township area, when the youths, who had come on a motorcycle, suddenly fired at him. Biswal was alert and managed to duck as soon as he heard the bullet sound. The two bullets, which were fired at him, went past him and hit the grill of his house.

Biswal then raised an alarm, and his neighbours and evening-walkers rushed to the spot for help. While escaping, they fired another round and the bullet hit Biswal's wrist.

Raghunathpalli police and Rourkela superintendent of police A. Singh had visited the spot and shifted the injured to the Rourkela Government Hospital. He was discharged after treatment.

Panposh sub-divisional police officer Tushar Jena said: "We have spoken to Biswal and his son. They strictly maintain that they have no enmity with anyone. They say they are not into any kind of problems with anyone - neither in business nor in their private lives."

The police, however, seemed to be not buying their explanations. Sources said scrap business was a problematic one because of the money involved in it. In the past, many offences have been recorded related to the business of scrap deals.