Chandigarh, March 15 (IANS) An unclaimed bag containing a pistol and live cartridges was discovered from the parking area of a busy market complex here, triggering panic in the area, police said Monday.

According to the police, a rag-picker Sunday night found a polythene bag containing a loaded .32 bore pistol and around 20 live cartridges from the parking area of Sector 17 market, the commercial hub of Chandigarh.

He informed a nearby shopkeeper, who called the police.

'We have registered a case and started investigation to find the owner of the bag. The police are taking the help of forensic experts and sniffer dogs to gather clues,' a police official said here Monday.

'We cannot deny the possibility of involvement of anti-social elements. However, we will be able to reach a conclusion only when our investigation is complete,' he added.