Ratnagiri (Maharashtra), Mar 2 (IANS): A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) trooper deployed at the Ratnagiri power plant gunned down two of his colleagues and injured himself and his pregnant wife, officials said here on Wednesday.

The incident happened at the Ratnagiri Gas & Power Pvt. Ltd late Tuesday night when the CISF constable, identified as Harishkumar Goud, 36, got into a heated argument and shot two of his colleagues around dinner time, an official of Guhagar Police told IANS.

The dead are assistant sub-inspector Balu G. Shinde, 58, of Malangaon in Sangli district of Maharashtra and P. Ranesh, 29 of Kerala.

After the firing, Goud allegedly threatened an on-duty CISF official Balwan Bajesingh to keep his mouth shut.

Later, when his colleagues brought Goud's 30-year old wife, Priyanka, in advanced stages of pregnancy, to control and calm him, he got into a fierce argument with her for almost an hour.

Suddenly, Goud shot at his wife and also himself as his stunned colleagues looked on and later rushed them to a hospital in Chiplun on Wednesday.

Ratnagiri police have lodged cases including of murder, attempt to murder and arms act against Goud, who hails from Madhya Pradesh.

Though the exact motives behind the assault are being probed, from preliminary enquries, police suspect it could be the outcome of professional harassment at their workplace, RGPPL, formerly known as Enron Power Plant.