A 35-year-old woman, Pushpa Devi, was killed by a bullet from a .303 rifle wielded by her brother-in-law, Village Defence Guard (VDG) member Sandeep Kumar, in Aragam village, Singhpora, Chatroo area of Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir, late Friday night. The incident, occurring 45 km from Kishtwar town, led to Kumar’s immediate arrest, with police seizing the weapon, officials confirmed on Saturday.

Pushpa Devi, wife of Rakesh Kumar, died instantly after being shot while stepping outside her home around 11 pm. Sandeep Kumar, a VDG member armed to counter terror threats in the militancy-prone Chatroo region, claimed the shooting was accidental, per a police statement reported by Hindustan Times. However, authorities have registered a case under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and are investigating to determine whether the act was deliberate or a result of negligence.

The incident has fueled local unrest, with residents demanding clarity amid rising security concerns in Kishtwar, where 15 terror incidents, including the killing of two VDG members in November 2024, were reported last year. A forensic team is examining the scene, and preliminary findings suggest a possible mishandling of the rifle, though personal disputes have not been ruled out. The Jammu and Kashmir Police, under Kishtwar SSP Javaid Ahmad, have intensified patrols and are questioning family members to establish the motive.

VDGs, armed civilians trained to protect remote villages, have been critical in Kishtwar since their revival in 2022, but this incident raises questions about oversight and firearm safety, especially after a similar accidental discharge killed a VDG member in Rajouri in March 2024.