A tragic incident in Delhi resulted in the death of a 28-year-old man who accidentally shot himself while his cousin recorded him loading a pistol, raising concerns about gun safety and responsible firearm handling.
A 28-year-old man allegedly shot himself in the chest while his cousin was recording a video of him loading a pistol in east Delhi's Dallupura, police said.
The incident came to light on March 16 after information about a medico-legal case of a gunshot injury was received at the New Ashok Nagar police station from the Dharamshila Hospital in Vasundhara Enclave, they said.
On reaching the hospital, police found that Pawan Kumar, a resident of Dallupura village, had been admitted there in an unconscious state with a gunshot wound on the left side of his chest.
Doctors declared him dead during treatment, police said.
According to police, the incident was captured on camera, even though the person filming, Himanshu, a cousin of the deceased, appeared unaware of Pawan's intentions.
In the video, which has gone viral on social media, Pawan can be seen inserting a magazine into a licensed pistol and loading the weapon, while Himanshu can be heard advising him on handling the firearm and cautioning him against firing it.
Moments later, Pawan places the pistol against the left side of his chest, briefly looks towards the camera and pulls the trigger, collapsing on the ground as Himashu expresses shock.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that the pistol belonged to Himanshu. The weapon, along with 10 live cartridges, has been seized, police said.
The mobile phone used to record the video has been taken into possession, while relevant exhibits have also been collected from the scene, they said.
The body has been shifted to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital for post-mortem examination.
Police have registered a case under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the BNS and relevant provisions of the Arms Act at the New Ashok Nagar police station.
Further investigation is underway, police said.