A 16-year-old minor son of a Village Defence Guard was killed after his father’s rifle accidentally discharged at their home in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Sunday.
The incident occurred late on Saturday night in LoyeeDhar village of Mughal Maidan, around 9.30 p.m., when Village Defence Guard Pyare Lal was cleaning his rifle at home when it accidentally went off, they said.
According to officials, the minor boy, Anuj Kumar, was hit by a bullet and died on the spot.
A police team immediately arrived at the spot and shifted the body of the Class 10 student to Chatroo hospital for post-mortem, they said.
The probe is underway to ascertain the causes and circumstances leading to the firing incident. The weapon has been seized for forensic examination, and statements of Kumar’s family members are being recorded, police said.
Also Read: Kashmiri man held at Ram Mandir for offering namaz, sloganeering
Meanwhile, Village Defence Guards, particularly in remote areas along the border districts and Line of Control, are an integral part of the security apparatus in the Jammu division. VDGs from remote areas like the Doda and Kathua districts are being trained to handle Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs), replacing older models to match the firepower of terrorists in case of confrontations.
Security forces earlier last week imparted training to several Village Defence Guards, which included handling weapons safely. As of January 8, 2026, VDGs form part of a multi-tier security grid placed on high alert for upcoming Republic Day celebrations and ongoing counter-terror operations in the Kathua and Doda forests.
Follow us
