Three people were injured after a Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) jawan’s carbine allegedly discharged accidentally near Gate No. 4 of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi.
Police have named Nikyni Gupta, Ram Babu and Vikas Yadav as injured persons. This bullet is reported to have hit a rock and tore apart and wounded the three bystanders.
All three were rushed to Kabirchaura Divisional Hospital where they received first aid and doctors confirmed that there were no serious injuries in any of them.
The accident happened when the PAC jawan was bustling proceedings to disperse a group of devotees around the temple, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shiv Hari Meena said. He confirmed that the injured are out of danger and that an investigation has been launched.
The PAC jawan, named Amarnath Chauhan, of the 48th PAC Battalion, is being questioned in this probe.
High-ranking police, administrative officials and mourners visited the scene following the attack and security procedures were assessed. The temple has also increased the security in and around the complex.
Police said initial police investigations showed the incident was an un-aimed shot from the carbine rather than a deliberate act and a full investigation is ongoing to see if negligence was to blame.