A 27-year-old woman constable of the Border Security Force (BSF) died after suffering a gunshot wound while on duty at a forward border post in Jammu’s R S Pura sector on Wednesday, with officials investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The constable, identified as Raj Lakshmi, was posted at Border Outpost Sushil along the India-Pakistan International Border. She suffered the injury at around 3 pm, according to an official quoted by PTI.
She was initially taken to the Sub-District Hospital in R S Pura, where she received medical treatment, before being referred to Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital in Jammu. Later reports said she succumbed to the injury at the hospital.
Bullet Fired From Service Rifle
Preliminary information indicates that the bullet was fired from Raj Lakshmi’s own service rifle. However, authorities have not yet established whether the weapon discharged accidentally or whether she deliberately fired it.
“It is premature to say whether the constable deliberately fired the weapon or whether it was an accidental discharge,” PTI quoted an official.
An investigation has been launched to establish what led to the shooting.
Raj Lakshmi was a member of the BSF’s 7th Battalion and was on duty at Sushil Border Outpost when the incident occurred, according to local reports. She was reported to be a native of Tamil Nadu.
Security agencies have also begun gathering information about the incident. The BSF has not issued a detailed official statement on the circumstances leading to the gunshot.
The incident is currently being investigated as a shooting involving the constable’s service weapon, and there is no official indication that it was caused by firing from across the International Border.