Military firing practice leaves 2 women with bullet injuries

Nagpur:Firing practice by some jawans at Kamptee injured two women working on a farm at Gadagaon, which is around 400 metres away from the military firing range. The incident took place on Wednesday morning when the jawans were undergoing regular firing training and the women were working on the farm.Both the injured, identified as 50-year-old Kachrabai Meshram and Sheelabai Barde, 40, are undergoing treatment at Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital.Meshram sustained injury on her right hand while Barde suffered injury on her left leg. Old Kamptee police said that both women are stated to be out of danger.
Interestingly, though the women suffered bullet injuries and had a lucky escape, no offence was registered at Old Kamptee police station. Senior police inspector Uttam Mulak told TOI that this was the second such incident here.
Mulak said that one-and-a-half year ago, two women had suffered bullet injuries during similar firing training session. “In that incident, the villagers had protested for the whole day to register an offence against the culprits. However, the defence personnel handed over a government letter in which they have been permitted to undergo firing training from 2007 till October 31, 2017,” Mulak said.
Police said many women labourers were cutting wheat grass at the farm when the military men were firing. Police said that Untkhana Military area is under Chhaoni area in Kamptee. Gadagaon is some 4km away from the firing range. Police said that a single bullet hit both women. The bullet first hit Meshram and then Barde. Mulak said they had searched the farm area but could not find any empty casing. He assured that he will investigate whether all security measures are followed by the military firing range. Mulak claimed that the safety wall for the firing training is at proper height and despite this, the bullet hit the women.
While police confirmed the incident, a defence official who did not want to be named said they are yet to confirm whether it was CRPF personnel or armymen who were practising firing on Wednesday. Mulak said defence personnel have again handed over the government letter to the police station and hence no case has been registered.
On the other hand, enraged villagers met senior government officers to find a solution to the problem. The villagers claimed that such incident could claim a life someday.