KOCHI: The police are awaiting the ballistic report to identify the rifle from which the bullet that hit a fisherman off Kochi Coast on Wednesday was fired. Though the Navy has washed its hands of the incident, the police say it could ascertain that only after it receives the report from Forensic Science Laboratory.
On Wednesday noon, Sebastian Francis, 70, of Azheekkal was hit below his ear by a stray bullet when the fishing boat carrying him and others was 1.5km off the Kochi coast. He had five stitches and was admitted to a private hospital in Fort Kochi. The incident took place close to the firing range of INS Dronacharya but the Navy claimed that it was not involved in any firing activities.
The bullet injury looked to be caused by a weapon of non-military calibre, it said. The coastal police probing the case travelled to the location where Sebastian was hit. Similarly, the investigation team also visited INS Dronacharya as part of the probe. “The ballistic analysis is key in the investigation. It is to identify the rifle from which the bullet was fired. Our preliminary analysis is that the bullet was fired from an INSAS rifle used by the military, paramilitary and police forces,” said an officer.