Police deny security breach at venue of PM’s meeting

‘No firearm was accidentally discharged’

Television news reports that a firearm borne by a police officer had accidentally discharged hours before at the venue of a public meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended later in the evening send ripples across the security establishment.

However, District Police Chief, Thiruvananthapuram City, Sanjay Kumar Gurudin, denied the report and told The Hindu that there was no security breach.

Scores of armed officers are deployed for VIP security. Before they assume their posts, it is the standard operating procedure to examine their weapons.

Technical flaw

Such an inspection occurred at a police facility at 5.50 p.m. and officers found a technical flaw in one standard-issue automatic firearm.

The gun was discharged into a bullet trap at a secure location, he said.

Mr. Gurudin said there was no threat to VIP or public security at any point. Mr. Modi spoke for an hour at the venue at Central Stadium.

Hundreds had gathered at the venue, which the police had brought under a tight security cover.