Woman receives bullet injury in Howrah housing complex, police detain husband

Kolkata, Nov 19 (PTI) A woman received a bullet injury on Wednesday at an upscale residential complex in Howrah's Shibpur area, police said.

The injured woman, identified as Poonam Yadav, was taken to a private hospital in Kolkata, where she is being treated, they said, adding that her husband was detained for further questioning.

The woman's husband, Gopal Yadav, claimed that he was cleaning his licensed firearm when it accidentally discharged, and the bullet grazed his wife's neck, a senior police officer said.

Preliminary probe revealed that the firing took place at a residential complex located near Shibpur police station, he said.

"A shot was fired inside the flat, leaving Poonam bleeding on the floor. Our officers from Shibpur Police Station reached the spot soon after and rushed her to the hospital," he said, adding that the bullet grazed her neck.

"Our officers are examining whether her husband's claim is accurate and whether there had been a dispute between the couple at the time of the incident," he added.

Police were probing whether it was an accidental discharge, as claimed by the husband, or if someone else had entered the flat, the officer said.

During preliminary questioning, the husband told investigators he was cleaning his firearm when it went off, he said.

Secretary of the housing complex (Pankaj Sharma) said, "Gopal Babu told us the firearm went off accidentally while he was cleaning it. He said there was no deliberate firing." PTI SCH RG