Chandigarh: Cop dies as weapon goes off accidentally

Inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) were initiated to record the circumstances surrounding the accidental death, police said

An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of the Punjab Police died after his service carbine accidentally discharged while he was on security duty for retired DGP Arpit Shukla at his residence in Wave Estate, Mohali, around 6.30 am on Thursday. The deceased, Onkar Singh, 50, a resident of Khatkar Kalan in SBS Nagar district, had been posted in the area for the past four years.

The deceased is survived by two daughters and a son. (HT FILE)

DSP Harsimran Bal said Singh’s service carbine fell to the ground and went off, inflicting fatal bullet injuries on him. A senior police official said a firearm can discharge without a person pressing its trigger if a hard impact causes its firing mechanism to release unexpectedly. Depending on the weapon’s design and condition, the impact can cause the firing mechanism to activate when the carbine hits the ground.

Inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) were initiated to record the circumstances surrounding the accidental death, police said. The body was handed over to the family after a postmortem examination.

The deceased is survived by two daughters and a son. Yadwinder Singh, son of the deceased, said the family had seen footage of the incident and that it was consistent with the sequence described by the police.