Kerala fisherman shot near naval training facility in Kochi, probe on

A 60-year-old fisherman on Wednesday was shot in the ear in Kerala’s port city of Kochi when he was coming to shore on his boat near a gunnery training school run by the Southern Naval Command, according to PTI. An inquiry has been ordered.

Sebastian, along with his fishing mates, was in the boat nearing the shore when the incident occurred, according to IANS. “I felt someone was slapping me in my ear. Soon my friend said that I am bleeding. I had no clue of what was happening. I was then taken to a hospital. Am told there are five stitches,” he said.

The matter became even more serious after the navy said that the bullet was not manufactured by them. Though he was not seriously injured, his companions admitted him to a private hospital. The police began an inquiry and discovered that a gunshot landed in the boat, striking the fisherman.

According to an official from the Fort Kochi coastal police station, the incident occurred near the INS Dronacharya, a naval base gunnery school, it must be ascertained whether any fire exercise was undertaken during the day, reported the Hindustan Times.

The defence sources, according to HT, said the gunshot could not have originated from the naval installation. They said naval officials analysed the ammunition in question and determined that it was a 2mm hunting or sporting bullet, not military grade. Much larger calibre bullets are used by the defence forces, an official was quoted as saying by PTI.

A forensic examination would be required before reaching any conclusions, police said.

Notably, two fishermen were killed and three others missing on Monday after strong winds overturned their boat off on Thiruvananthapuram coast. The authorities in Kerala, however, said that they had sounded a red alert in four districts. There were 25 people in the mechanised boat and 20 swam to safety after the mishap, wrote HT.