5 Students Injured After Bank Guard's Gun Accidentally Goes Off

Six people were injured after a bank guard’s gun accidentally went off while he was trying to control the crowd.

The incident took place in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. Around 60 customers were waiting for the bank's gates to open. Among them were a couple of college students who had come to withdraw scholarship money.

As soon as the gates opened, everyone attempted to rush in. Since only 10 people were allowed to enter the bank at a time due to the COVID guidelines, the guard attempted to stop them, Free Press Journal reported.

During the chaos, the guard’s gun fell down and accidentally went off, striking a woman and 5 college students, aged between 18 and 22. All of them were rushed to a local hospital for treatment and were reported to be stable.

Police told local media that they carried out a preliminary investigation and checked the CCTV footage.

"We have recorded the statement of the bank manager, who said the guard was following instructions. We have not collected any evidence to suggest it was a deliberate act. The CCTV footage shows that the gun fell on the ground while he was trying to control the crowd and it went off. Fortunately, no one was grievously injured," a police officer told the Times of India.

"No complaint has been filed by any of the victims yet. We will lodge an FIR against the guard for negligence," he added.

The guard has since been detained and his weapon was seized by the authorities.

Meanwhile, after the incident, the kin of the injured college students gathered outside the bank to protest. However, the situation was quickly brought under control.

Last year, a security guard deployed at a bank in the same state shot a customer who had come without wearing a mask. The guard denied the customer entry to the bank as he wasn’t wearing a mask. The two got into a heated argument during which the customer attempted to forcefully enter the bank maskless. In a fit of rage, the guard shot and injured him.