Varanasi Airport Gun Mishap Leaves Two Security Personnel Injured During Screening
Airline passenger’s gun injures two security staff.
Two airport security personnel were injured after a licensed pistol belonging to a passenger accidentally went off during mandatory security screening at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi on Sunday, officials said. The incident occurred while the firearm was being inspected as part of the security formalities before the passenger travelled to Mumbai. The passenger was identified as Kamlesh Kedarnath Rai, a resident of Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh. Rai was travelling with his wife on Air India Express flight IX1810 from Varanasi to Mumbai. According to officials, he had a licensed 7.62 mm pistol along with 21 live cartridges with him.
The firearm was being handled in the designated screening area as airport personnel carried out the required checks before the passenger could proceed with his journey. The Ministry of Civil Aviation said Rai was escorted to the designated screening area to complete the mandatory security formalities. During the handling and inspection of the weapon, a round was accidentally discharged. The projectile reportedly ricocheted inside the screening area and caused injuries to two security personnel. The incident prompted an immediate response from airport authorities and security officials present at the facility.
The two injured personnel were identified as Rohit Raj and Suman Kumari. They were provided assistance immediately after the firing and were subsequently shifted to a private hospital for medical treatment. Officials did not immediately provide further details about the nature or severity of their injuries. The incident took place during the airport's security screening process, where licensed firearms carried by passengers are subject to prescribed procedures and checks.
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Following the accidental discharge, local police were informed and Rai was detained, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Authorities are examining the circumstances surrounding the firing, including the manner in which the firearm and ammunition were being handled during the screening process. The incident has also brought attention to the security protocols governing the carriage and inspection of licensed weapons by air passengers. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the country's aviation security regulator, is probing the incident.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said the investigation would include an examination of whether the prescribed procedures for the handling and carriage of licensed weapons at airports were followed. The probe is expected to establish how the firearm was discharged during the screening and whether any procedural lapse contributed to the incident. The incident comes as airport security procedures require passengers carrying licensed firearms to comply with specific regulations governing their declaration, handling and carriage during air travel.
Such procedures are intended to ensure that firearms and ammunition remain securely controlled throughout the airport and boarding process. In the Varanasi incident, authorities are now reviewing the circumstances of the accidental firing and the subsequent injuries to the two security personnel. As the investigation continues, officials are expected to determine the precise sequence of events that led to the weapon being discharged and assess compliance with the applicable aviation security requirements. Rai remains in police custody as authorities conduct their inquiry, while the two injured screening personnel are receiving medical attention.
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