Waiting in bank queue, girl accidentally shot at by security guard

A 17-year-old girl, waiting in a queue outside a bank at Alirajpur in Madhya Pradesh to exchange defunct notes, sustained bullet injury when the gun belonging to a security guard went off accidentally.

Following the incident on Wednesday, the girl was admitted to a hospital at Vadodara in neighbouring Gujarat on Thursday.

Ramila Jamra sustained a bullet injury in the leg when the service rifle of security guard went off accidentally outside a branch of Central Bank of India on Wednesday, said the branch manager Praveen Tiwari.

Kushal Singh, the guard, had gone out for lunch, handing over his rifle to police head-constable Shyamlal. As Shyamlal was sitting on a chair with rifle wedged between knees, it went off, the manager said.

Ramila was rushed to the district hospital and taken to Vadodara on Wednesday night.

A case was registered against both Kushal and Shyamlal under section 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act by the Kotwali police. They were not arrested, though.

The girl, being treated at Sir Sayajirao General Hospital, told reporters that she was standing in a queue as her friend had gone inside to exchange defunct Rs 500 notes.

“Suddenly, a bullet hit my leg. I started bleeding and fell unconscious at the entry gate of the bank,” Ramila said. Her condition was now better, said Dr Hemant Mathur, head of orthopaedic department, SSG Hospital.