VARANASI: Three people were injured after an accidental discharge from a Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) carbine at the Nanu Feria Gate checkpoint of Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi on Saturday morning, police said.The injured were identified as Nikky Gupta, Ram Babu and Vikas Yadav, all florists aged between 30 and 40 years.According to police, the PAC personnel was deployed at the high-security Gate 4B, also known as Nanu Feria Gate, adjacent to Gate 4, which is used by VIP visitors entering Kashi Vishwanath Dham.ACP (Dashashwamedh) Atul Anjan Tripathi said the weapon accidentally discharged after it fell on the road. Two bullets struck the ground, causing concrete fragments to break off and fly into the air.“Three including Nikky Gupta, Ram Babu and Vikas Yadav, are between 30 and 40 years in age and works as florists, suffered injuries from splinters broke and flew in air after two bullets hit the road,” Tripathi said.He added that all three were taken to SSPG Divisional Hospital, where they received first aid and were later discharged.“Pilgrims were entering the shrine area normally,” he said, adding that the matter was being investigated.The incident briefly caused panic in the area, which was crowded with pilgrims standing in queues and moving towards the temple complex. Police personnel quickly brought the situation under control and shifted the injured men to hospital.Officials initially suspected that the victims had suffered bullet injuries. However, doctors later confirmed that the injuries were caused by concrete shrapnel generated by the impact of the bullets on the road.The incident comes months after a similar accidental firing in the Bansphatak area, located between Godowlia and Gate 4 of Kashi Vishwanath Dham, in March 2025.In that case, an on-duty PAC personnel’s carbine reportedly fell from his shoulder and discharged accidentally, injuring the constable in the eye and a local pan shop owner in the thigh.
