SPO injured as colleague's rifle goes off

A special police officer (SPO) was seriously injured after being hit by a bullet that went off accidentally from his colleague's gun while on night patrol in Anantnag district of south Kashmir, police said today.

SPO Mushtaq Ahmad was hit by a bullet from the service rifle of his colleague, SPO Showkat Ahmad while they were on patrol duty last night at Kokernag, 80 kms from here, a police official said.

He said the incident took place at around 11:30 PM yesterday. Preliminary inquiry revealed that Showkat's rifle went off accidentally, he said.

The injured SPO was admitted in Soura Medical institute here after initial treatment at the sub-district hospital where his condition was stated to be critical, the official said.