With many people reportedly firing live bullets in the air as celebratory gunfire during Diwali celebrations, one stray bullet penetrated a galvanised roof and rhino ceiling and hit the bed of a residence in Imphal West around 7.30 pm on Tuesday.
The stray bullet left a hole on the mattress of the bed, making the family feel unsafe even inside their own home. The incident occurred at the residence of one Huidrom Dewan Singh, 36, son of late H Ibopishak Singh of Chingamakha Liwa Lambi, Maibam Leikai Bokul Makhong, Imphal West.
Dewan told the Imphal Free Press that his family was planning to go out and see the Diwali lights and had taken their dinner early. He narrated that as they were preparing for the night out, he was sitting on his bed and two children were also playing near him.
When they were about to leave he heard a shattering noise, he said. Wondering if there were cracks on his bed, he checked around and found a bullet hole on his mattress just below his pillow. On further checking, he noticed that there was a hole on the ceiling and galvanised roof, he said. Later, one bullet was found under his bed, he added.
ALSO READ: Sales of fresh Sareng witnessed for the first time after its revival
Dewan said that there was a high possibility of him sustaining a bullet injury on his neck if he happened to be lying on the bed. “Any other person could have been hit but no one was injured thankfully,” he said.
He filed a complaint at Singjamei police station on the same day.
A team of police also came for spot enquiry and they reported that it was a 9mm bullet that came through his roof.
Dewan appealed to the government to monitor strictly before issuing gun licences as gun owners can harm an innocent person if they misuse their guns. He further appealed to the gun licence holders not to fire their arms unnecessarily as their negligence could lose a life.
There have been many cases of bullet injury caused by celebratory gunfire in different places across the world. The possibility of fatality caused by a falling bullet is extremely high as compared to a typical firing. Certain myths like celebratory gunfire is harmless or rare have been proven to be wrong with scientific data.
ALSO READ: Heavy rainfall likely to hit Chandel, Jiribam, Pherzawl districts in Manipur
