Pistol fires at airport check in Varanasi, two injured
On Sunday, Varanasi Police arrested Kamlesh Rai after his licensed pistol went off by accident at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, injuring two staff members. The incident took place around 9.30 am during routine weapons screening, raising concerns about airport security. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has started an immediate investigation.
Rai, 55, from Ramgarh in Azamgarh, arrived at the airport with his wife to board Air India Express flight to Mumbai. He told staff about his licensed 7.62 mm pistol and 21 live cartridges at the check-in counter. The weapon was sent for inspection in the screening area. Police said the pistol had two cartridges in the magazine and one in the chamber, while Rai carried 19 more cartridges in his bag.
During the inspection, a shot was fired. The bullet bounced and injured two AAICLAS screeners: Suman Kumari, who was hit in the thigh and legs, and Rohit Raj, who was hurt on his hand and thumb.
Both were taken to New Laxmi Trauma Centre and are now out of danger. Airport operations continued as normal after the situation was quickly handled.
After airport employee Sunil Kumar Singh filed a complaint, police charged Rai under sections 125A and 125B of the IPC for causing hurt by negligence. He could face up to six months in jail or a fine for simple hurt, and up to three years in jail or a fine for grievous hurt. Rai is now being questioned. Authorities also said officials may suggest cancelling Rai’s arms licence, which is valid across India.
The injured screeners explained what happened: one said Rai removed the magazine, checked the pistol, and then pulled the trigger after saying it was unloaded. Another said Rai showed the gun was ‘unloaded’ by pulling the trigger, which caused it to fire. The bullet did not hit anyone directly but bounced and caused the injuries.
BCAS and aviation rules require passengers to inform airline counter staff or security if they have firearms when entering the terminal. They are not allowed to remove, unlock, or handle weapons in general or check-in areas. These steps must happen in a separate strong room.
Officials said Varanasi Airport does not have a dedicated strong room, so inspections take place in less private areas. The Ministry of Civil Aviation said BCAS is checking if the right steps for handling licensed weapons were followed. The ministry said, “Appropriate action will be taken based on the findings.”
Local police, including teams from Phulpur and senior officers such as the DCP Gomti Zone, visited the site and confirmed that Rai had declared the weapon before the accidental firing during pre-boarding checks with CISF and airline staff. There are still questions about whether all Standard Operating Procedures were followed, especially the rule about unloading the magazine near a busy counter area.
Since this happened during a time of heightened security, there are greater concerns about any gaps in the process that allowed a live round to remain in the chamber during inspection.
Investigators are trying to find out exactly what happened and if any mistakes led to the shot being fired. Airport director Puneet Gupta said the passenger had declared the firearm properly and that the shot was fired during inspection. Both injured staff members got medical attention right away, and the situation was quickly brought under control.
