BENGALURU: A 55-year-old man had a lucky escape after a bullet passed through his neck, following an accidental firing by a two-and-half-year-old boy. The toddler, who is the grandson of a BJP leader, was playing with the gun at his residence in the city on Monday morning. The incident occurred at Chokkasandra in Dasarahalli near Peenya.
Govindappa, a former employee of the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) maintenance department, and his friends had gone to meet Muniraju, a former councillor from Dasarahalli municipality and a BJP leader. While they were waiting in a meeting hall at his residence in Peenya, Muniraju went inside to change his dress and had kept his weapon down.
“My grandson went inside and took it. When he walked into the hall, it slipped from his hand and fell. Due to the impact, its safety lock opened and a bullet was fired,” Muniraju told Express. “I always keep the safety lock on. I still do not know how it opened and how the weapon fired on its own,’’ said Muniraju, who has been carrying the weapon for the past 15 years.
The bullet-hit Govindappa, was sitting on a chair and talking to one of his friends when he was injured. “It entered from the front right side of the neck and exited from the left,’’ said Dr Chinnadurai of Sparsh Hospital in Yeshwanthpur, where Govindraj is currently being treated.
The doctor said there is no major organ injury and his condition is stable.
A 55-year-old man suffered a bullet injury to his neck when a toddler accidentally fired a gun at him. The victim is Govindappa.
The police have taken up a case of negligence against the BJP leader who owned the gun. The toddler was his grandson.
“He was brought to the hospital with a mild difficulty in breathing. He is out of danger and is being closely monitored,” Dr Chinnadurai of Sparsh Hospital in Yeshwanthpur said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) T R Suresh, who visited Muniraju’s house after the accident, said the entire incident has been recorded in the CCTV installed at his house. “The boy was playing with his grandfather’s revolver when it was fired accidentally,” he said. Govindappa had retired from ISRO in 2009. He was a regular at Muniraju’s house.