A resident of Easwari Nagar in Old Pallavaram suffered injuries on his right leg, when an unknown object hit him on Monday afternoon.
After a series of medical tests, it was found to be a bullet, which might have come from the shooting range nearby.
Rajendran, 40, a worker attached to the Chennai Corporation’s street light maintenance wing, was at home when an object hit his right leg.
He started bleeding profusely and was rushed to the Government Hospital in Chromepet.
A little later, he was again rushed to the doctor as the pain became unbearable. The doctor found an object lodged under the skin. He suspected that it might be a fragment of a bullet. A minor surgery was performed to remove the bullet. After treatment, the matter was reported to the Pallavaram police, who began an investigation on Tuesday.
Police, however, said instances of bullets straying into areas adjacent the firing range are common.
They said the bullet was determined to be of 9 mm calibre.
“A firing practice session had been held for trainees at the shooting range near Tirusulam hillocks by the military, which has a few caution boards near Tirusulam and adjoining areas. Several such incidents have gone unreported as they did not cause any casualty,” says Savarimuthu, a resident.
Mr. Rajendran’s wife Milka said, “He felt an acute pain in his ankle and small toe. We first thought he might have been injured by a stone lying on the road. But by the time he got home, he was bleeding profusely.”
Police officials said that they were checking with various agencies involved in the shooting range and Railway Protection Force personnel, who came for a training session on Tuesday.
Police sources said the bullet would now be sent to the Forensic Science Department for ballistic tests.
