A 46-year-old Defence Security Corps (DSC) personnel posted at the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Khadakwasla, Pune, has died while undergoing treatment, five days after sustaining a gunshot wound at a security post inside the academy campus.
The soldier, identified as Sepoy Rakesh Kumar Singh of the 282 Defence Security Corps platoon, was a native of Bihar. He was reportedly on duty at a security outpost when the shooting occurred on September 11.
According to Uttamnagar police, the incident took place at around 10:18 am at Post No. 8 on the NDA premises. A sentry stationed at a nearby tower reportedly heard the sound of gunfire and rushed to the post, where he found the DSC personnel seriously injured. The control room was immediately alerted and the soldier was evacuated for medical treatment.
Police said the bullet entered through the front of his neck and exited from the rear. He had suffered significant blood loss and was initially taken to the Military Hospital at Khadakwasla before being shifted to the Command Hospital in Wanowrie for further treatment.
Despite medical intervention, he succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday. His post-mortem examination was subsequently conducted at Sassoon Hospital, following which his body was handed over to his family.
Uttamnagar police have registered an accidental death report and launched an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Investigators conducted a spot panchnama and recovered a spent cartridge from the soldier’s service rifle.
Police said preliminary findings indicate that the gunshot injury was caused by his service weapon. However, investigators have not yet determined the exact sequence of events or whether the weapon discharged accidentally or under other circumstances.
Authorities are examining the service rifle, the security post and other evidence as part of the investigation. Police are also coordinating with NDA authorities to establish what happened immediately before the firing.
Southern Command officials have confirmed the death, while further details from the NDA are awaited.
The incident comes less than two weeks after another service personnel associated with the NDA was found dead on a railway track between Khadki and Shivajinagar on September 1. A Court of Inquiry was ordered in connection with that case.
The National Defence Academy at Khadakwasla is India’s tri-service military training institution, where cadets selected for the Army, Navy and Air Force undergo joint training before proceeding to their respective service academies.
No official conclusion regarding the cause of the September 11 shooting has been announced, and the matter remains under investigation.
