Three injured in 'accidental firing' at Dum Dum Metro station
Kolkata: A 9-year-old boy, his mother and a Metro staff were injured in an 'accidental' firing, that took place at the ticket counter of Dum Dum Metro station on Friday afternoon.
The incident triggered panic among the other passengers who were standing in the queue for tickets. Senior officials of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) rushed to the spot.
The mother-son duo was immediately taken to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. They were later shifted to a private hospital in the city. Meanwhile, the Metro staff was taken to BR Singh Hospital.
Indrani Banerjee, CPRO, Metro Railways, said that a high level inquiry has been ordered in connection with this incident. Stern action will be taken if negligence is found on the part of the RPF jawan, she said. All the three injured victims are said to be out of danger.
According to a senior Metro official, it was an incident of accidental firing that took place when a SLR rifle fell after slipping from the hands of the RPF jawan. According to sources the wallet of the jawan had fallen on the floor. When he stooped to pick up the wallet, the SLR rifle slipped
from his hand and a bullet
went off.
According to the police, Saptarshi Basu (9) and his mother Sutapa Basu were standing near the Metro ticket counter when the rifle went off.
Saptarshi received a bullet injury in his leg while his mother sustained an injury in her hand. They are residents of Baruipur area in South 24-Parganas. The Metro staff, Narayan Majumdar, has been undergoing treatment at BR Singh Hospital.
According to Metro sources, all the three victims are out of danger. The daily commuters who travel by Metro, raised questions over the security of the passengers and also the preparedness of the on-duty security personnel.
Some within the Metro railways, however, claimed that the accident took place when one RPF jawan was handing over the rifle to one of his colleagues. The actual cause of the firing is yet to be confirmed, after a thorough probe is conducted.
According to a Metro railway official, all the three injured persons are out of danger and will be released from the hospitals soon.
The matter was immediately informed to the Sinthi police station, as the Metro station falls under its jurisdiction. Senior police officers reached the spot for the sake of investigation. The RPF jawan is being questioned in this connection.
