Rifle goes off while cleaning, single bullet kills bizman, wife

Bareilly: A businessman and his wife were killed in a freak accident after the licensed rifle he was cleaning went off and the bullet pierced through his neck and then hit his wife standing just behind him on her neck as well. The incident happened in Shahabad town of UP’s Rampur district on Thursday morning.

The deceased were identified as trader Sunil Rastogi (50) and his wife, Neha Rastogi (47). Around 7:30 am, Sunil was on the rooftop of their two-storey house cleaning his licensed rifle when it accidentally discharged.

Hearing gunshot, the couple’s son and daughter rushed to the rooftop and found their parents lying dead.

Police and a forensic team reached the house and launched an investigation. Preliminary findings suggest that the rifle already had a round in the chamber even after the magazine was removed. Said a police officer.

Civil Lines circle officer Devki Nandan said only one round was fired, and initial inquiry points to an accident. “We are examining every angle,” Nandan said.