Himalaya Harbinger Rudrapur Bureau.
In a startling turn of events during an inspection led by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Kumaon Police, Yogendra Singh Rawat at Police Lines in Udham Singh Nagar district headquarters, Rudrapur, a routine demonstration of a tear gas gun took a perilous turn. The inspection took an unexpected twist as the tear gas gun experienced a catastrophic malfunction and the shell exploded, resulting in injuries to District’s SSP Manjunath TC and Reserve Inspector (RI) of the police lines, Manish Sharma.
The incident unfolded on Wednesday afternoon as SSP Manjunath TC was instructing the cops on tear gas gun operations. Unexpectedly, the gun’s shell exploded, causing injuries to both officials. In the course of the inspection, the explosion led to panic among the police line personnel. SSP Dr. Manjunath TC sustained injuries, while RI Manish Sharma injured his paw during the mishap. Both officials were rushed to The Medicity Hospital located on Kichha Road. The officers are reported to be in stable condition post-treatment.
Talking to TOI, RI Manish Sharma said, “While loading the tear gas gun, the shell unexpectedly released gas and exploded, resulting in burns on our right hands.” Dr. Deepak Chhabra, MD of Medicity Hospital, confirmed both officers sustained first-degree burns and were discharged after receiving first aid.
SSP Manjunath TC said, “It’s a rare occurrence, happening one in a thousand cases when a tear gas shell bursts. I held the gun in my hand while RI Sharma was loading the shell when it burst suddenly. We both suffered superficial burns and minor injuries.” Senior police officials emphasized the need for careful inspection of tear gas ammunition, considering its sporadic use. They discreetly said, “The ammunition at the police lines will be scrutinized to prevent future incidents.”
