J'khand cop injured in 'accidental firing' near venue of Guv's programme

A sub-inspector of Jharkhand Police sustained bullet injuries in an accidental firing incident around 180 metres from the venue of a programme of Governor C P Radhakrishnan in Hazaribag district on Thursday, a senior police officer said.Radhakrishnan was participating in a programme of the district administration in a school building in Hutpa village in Sadar block.

A sub-inspector of Jharkhand Police sustained bullet injuries in an ''accidental firing'' incident around 180 metres from the venue of a programme of Governor C P Radhakrishnan in Hazaribag district on Thursday, a senior police officer said.

Radhakrishnan was participating in a programme of the district administration in a school building in Hutpa village in Sadar block. Though the incident caused some commotion, the programme continued unhindered.

''Three SIs of the Special Branch of Jharkhand Police were seated in a vehicle around 180 metres from the venue – two in the rear and one in the front. Suddenly, a bullet was accidentally fired from the service pistol of one of the sub-inspectors seated at the back and it hit the thigh and leg of SI Bal Govind seated in the front,'' Superintendent of Police Manoj Ratan Chothe said.

Chothe said the injured SI was taken to a hospital, where the bullet was removed.

His condition is stable and he is out of danger, the SP said, adding that an investigation is underway to find out from whose pistol the bullet got accidentally fired as two people were seated in the back.

The three SIs were posted at the Special Branch of the police in Hazaribag.

Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police (Special Branch), Kusum Punia herself visited Hazaribag and questioned the two SIs identified as Pintu Kumar and P S Toppo and their weapons are also being examined, Chothe said.

He said Punia also visited the hospital and enquired about the health of the injured police officer.