In a shocking incident that happened at the Central Railway Station here, a 46-year-old man was hit by a bullet on the left side of his abdomen, after a 9mm pistol, in the hands of a Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable, misfired.
The injured identified as M Manaf, a Kerala University employee, was taken to the KIMS Hospital and was subjected to an immediate surgery.
Hospital authorities said that he was out of danger. The freak incident happened around 7.30 p.m. on Friday when Manaf and his wife Naseema were at the station to book tickets from the reservation counter adjacent to the guard room.
RPF constable Eshakiyappan, who was loading his gun in the guardroom pulled the trigger accidently hitting Manaf who was passing by the guardroom after booking the ticket.
RPF Commandant K J Joy said that the shot was fired from the 9mm pistol used by RPF constable Eshakiyappan, who was about to leave to Pattom Railway Booking Centre to guard cash that was to be brought to the Central Railway Station.
“The pistol might have misfired when he was loading it. The pistol has been seized and he has been suspended pending inquiry,” he said.
People who gathered at the railway station immediately after the incident alleged that the injured man was left in the open for several minutes after the incident.
Hearing about the freak accident more people started flooding the railway station, who were dispersed after a team of police led by City Police Commissioner T J Jose reached the spot. He said that a case has been registered against Eshakiyappan.
Meanwhile, the hospital authorities informed that the bullet was not found in the body.