A Railway Protection Special Force constable on election security duty in neighbouring Sivaganga District was killed when his firearm went off accidentally on Saturday, police said.
Subesh Singh, hailing from Haryana, was attempting to remove cartridges from his firearm without locking the trigger when the gun went off accidentally at a counting centre for the assembly elections in Karaikudi, they said.
The bullet pierced through his chest and he died on the way to hospital.
The victim was part of a team of RPSF personnel who had been camping in Karaikudi since April 16 on security duty. The votes polled in the April 13 elections were counted on Friday and the team is slated to leave Karaikudi on Sunday.
DIG of Police A. Amal Raj and SP N.Rajasekaran held an inquiry. Further investigation was on, police said.
