Varanasi airport firing: Injured screeners recall tense moments as passenger's pistol went off— ‘It was loaded. Then…'

A licensed firearm discharged accidentally at Varanasi airport during security checks, injuring two staff members. The passenger, who had declared the weapon, has been detained as authorities investigate the incident, which occurred around 9:30 am.

A licensed firearm carried by a passenger discharged accidentally during security checks at Varanasi airport on Sunday morning, injuring two screening staff, officials said. The passenger, who was booked on an Air India Express flight to Mumbai, has been detained as authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, the Civil Aviation Ministry said.

An injured cargo screener said the passenger initially removed the magazine from his licensed pistol and checked the weapon before pressing the trigger, which caused it to fire, according to PTI. Another screener said the passenger had claimed the gun was unloaded and pulled the trigger while demonstrating it to the staff.

The two personnel were injured in the incident, with one sustaining an injury and swelling near the little finger of his left hand, while the other was hit in both legs, including the thigh. They were taken to the New Lakshmi Trauma Centre for medical treatment.

While recalling the accidental firing of a passenger's pistol during screening at Varanasi airport, Injured cargo screener Rohit Raj said,, “The passenger first removed the magazine and checked it. It was loaded. He then pressed the trigger downwards and the weapon fired. I sustained an injury near the last finger of my left hand and there is some swelling. I am currently at New Laxmi Hospital.”

The other injured screener Suman Kumari mentioned, “The passenger said the weapon was unloaded and pressed the trigger to show us. The shot was fired while he was showing it to us. The bullet hit me in both legs, including the thigh.”

When did it take place?

According to the ministry, the incident took place around 9.30 am at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport. The passenger declared a licensed 7.62 mm pistol along with 21 live cartridges at the check-in counter as required. He was then escorted to the designated screening area to undergo the mandatory security checks.

What Civil Aviation Ministry said

The Civil Aviation Ministry said the weapon discharged a round while it was being handled and inspected, with the projectile reportedly ricocheting and injuring two screening staff, Rohit Raj and Suman Kumari.

Officials identified the passenger as Kamlesh Kedarnath Rai, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh district. A statement from the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Gomti Zone) said Kumari suffered an injury to her leg, while Raj was hurt on his thumb.

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) is investigating the circumstances surrounding the firing, including whether established protocols for handling and transporting licensed firearms at airports were followed, the ministry said. It added that further action would be based on the findings of the probe.

Authorities said the situation was brought under control quickly and flight operations at the airport remained unaffected.

Airport director Puneet Gupta said, "...at approximately 9.30 am, a passenger travelling to Mumbai on flight IX-1810 with his wife declared a weapon intended to be carried on the aircraft."

"During the inspection of the weapon, a round was accidentally fired, injuring two AAICLAS (AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company Limited) screeners," Gupta said in the statement.

Senior police officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Gomti Zone) and the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Pindra), reached the airport after being alerted about the incident.

Police teams examined the location and collected information related to the firing, officials said. They added that further legal proceedings were underway.

About the Author

Garvit Bhirani is a journalist based in Gurugram. He is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint, where he covers national and international news stories, focusing on accuracy and compelling storytelling for readers. <br><br> With a total of six years of experience in journalism, he has previously worked with Vaco Binary Semantics for Google, taking on the role of news curation lead, and reported from the field on health, education, and agriculture stories for 101reporters and News9. He has also served as a content editor for entertainment and news media organisations. <br><br> Garvit holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and mass communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Gurugram University, respectively. During college days, he joined India’s only non-profit student journalism network, where he anchored daily news updates and produced his own weekly show called ‘Data Fix’. <br><br> He was selected for the YES Foundation Media for Social Change Fellowship in Delhi, the Talking Data to the Fourth Pillar residential workshop, and the VOICE Fellowship in Pune. <br><br> He holds certificates in COVID-19-verification reporting, data journalism, food & agriculture, tech policy, media literacy and countering misinformation, and tackling election disinformation courses from Thomson Foundation, IndiaSpend, The Dialogue, US Mission in India, and AFP. <br><br> He can be reached on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/garvit-bhirani">LinkedIn</a> or on <a href="https://x.com/GarvitBhirani">@garvitbhirani</a> on X

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