The Bengaluru police recently arrested a law student for allegedly injuring a businessman with an airgun pellet during a practice session.
The accused has been identified as Mohammed Afzal, a resident of Basavanagudi. The police said Afzal had three airguns and was training for an upcoming sports event.
The incident took place around 8 pm on December 10, when Rajagopal D, a resto-bar owner, was walking with a relative. “There was a loud noise, and the victim felt something piercing his neck. Upon checking, a wound was detected, and the victim was immediately shifted to a private hospital. After doctors confirmed that it happened due to a pellet, he filed a complaint with the Basavanagudi police,” a police officer said.
The police initially thought it could be a planned attack. “But the pellet’s size was small. So, we formed a team to trace recent airgun purchases in the city, especially near the Basavanagudi area. At the same time, we conducted ballistic tests to determine the distance and direction from which the pellet originated,” the police officer added.
The ballistic analysis revealed that the shot was not aimed at the victim. And, eventually, the police managed to nab Afzal.
“He was practising at home and missed the target. We are verifying his statement, and we are trying to ascertain which airgun was used to fire, as he had three of them. He has pointed to one among them, but we are yet to confirm it,” the officer said.
The Basavanagudi police have registered a First Information Report against Afzal and are further probing the incident.