Varanasi:
Two airport security personnel were hospitalised after a passenger at Varanasi’s Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport pulled the trigger on his licensed pistol during a routine screening check, allegedly to show that the weapon was safe. It fired, injuring both of them.
Suman Kumari, one of the two injured screeners, described the moment the gun fired. “We have to screen declared weapons. We need to verify their documents, check all ammunition, weigh them, and check whether the weapon is loaded or unloaded. During this, the passenger said, ‘See, it is in an unloaded condition.’ While showing that, the gun discharged,” she told news agency PTI.
“Whether he knew it (that the gun would fire) or not, only the passenger knows. But I didn’t know if it was loaded or unloaded. To show that it was unloaded, he pulled the trigger,” she said. She was injured in both legs.
VIDEO | Varanasi: Injured cargo screener Rohit Raj, recalling the accidental firing of a passenger’s pistol during screening at Varanasi airport, says, “The passenger first removed the magazine and checked it. It was loaded. He then pressed the trigger downwards and the weapon… pic.twitter.com/wmJiGRNKjt
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 16, 2026
The second injured screener, Rohit Raj, told PTI, “The incident happened while we were doing our job as screeners in I-Class. When declared weapons arrive, we have to inspect them. The passenger came along with the airline staff. The passenger placed the weapon on the desk for inspection. First, he removed the magazine, checked it, and then saw it was loaded. He pressed the trigger, pointing downwards. Maybe he thought it wouldn’t fire, or maybe he did it out of anger or frustration.”
Raj added, “As soon as we saw the bullet, we told them to remove all the cartridges. He loaded it and fired downward.” The bullet grazed his finger.
The passenger, Kamlesh Kedarnath Rai from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, was travelling with his wife on Air India Express flight IX1810 to Mumbai. His pistol, a 7.62 mm weapon, had 21 live cartridges at the time of the incident.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed the incident in a statement. “The passenger was escorted to the designated screening area for completion of the mandatory security formalities. During the handling and inspection of the weapon, a round was accidentally discharged. The projectile ricocheted and caused injuries to two screening personnel, Rohit Raj and Suman Kumari,” it said.
The ministry added that the incident was “promptly contained” and that airport operations continued without disruption.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) is now probing the incident, including “adherence to the prescribed procedures for handling and carriage of licensed weapons at airports”, according to the ministry. Appropriate action will be taken based on the findings, it said.
Under existing rules, a firearm may be legally transported on a flight only if it is completely unloaded and stored in a locked, hard-sided container. It must be declared at the airline check-in counter, along with valid licences, and ammunition must be stored separately. Passengers are permitted to carry one licensed revolver, pistol or shotgun and up to 50 cartridges in registered baggage.
On domestic flights, a handling charge of approximately Rs 5,000, excluding taxes, applies per firearm and 50 cartridges. The charge is around $100 for international flights.
