HP: Minor girl injured in firing by 5-year-old cousin while playing

A four-year-old girl was injured after her five-year-old cousin shot her using her grandfather's licensed gun while playing in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla district on Monday, police said.

The incident took place in Sharnal village under Rampur police station. The girl, Ninika, sustained a bullet injury on her right hand, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Abhimanyu Verma said.

The licence of the .12 bore gun is in the name of the girl's grandfather, Main Ram, he said.

The girl's family rushed her to a community health centre in Taklech, from where she was referred to a hospital in Rampur. After being administered first aid at the hospital, she was shifted to the Indira Gandhi Medical College in Shimla, Rampur Station House Officer (SHO) Ravinder Negi told PTI.

She is reported to be out of danger, he said.

To a question, the SHO said the investigating officer (IO) has not yet visited the place where the incident took place. The village is in a far-flung snowbound area.

The IO will visit the spot on Tuesday and verify the facts, he added.

Negi said an FIR would be registered against Ram under section 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Arms Act.