Cop injured in accidental firing; head constable booked

Bengaluru: An assistant writer posted at the Begur police station in southeastern Bengaluru was injured in an accidental firing on Friday.

The injured policeman, who is hospitalised, is safe as he suffered only a flesh wound.

Police said Mukund Reddy, a businessman, was at the station to deposit a licenced pistol as mandated by the police in view of the Lok Sabha elections. But he still had to surrender the magazine, which he did later.

After ensuing that the magazine was empty, it was inserted into the pistol. In what was an oversight, there was still a bullet in the chamber.

“The licencee, in the past, had loaded the weapon and didn’t remember that a round was inside the chamber,” a senior police officer told DH.

Hit above the knee

“When the head constable was handling it, the pistol accidentally discharged, and the bullet hit the assistant writer above the knee as he was working on the computer.”

A case was registered under sections of the Arms Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including causing grievous hurt by an act endangering the life or personal safety of others.