The State government on Tuesday told the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that the shooting range in Pudukkottai district from where a stray bullet hit an 11-year-old boy, causing his death, has been permanently closed.
A Division Bench of Justices Pushpa Sathyanarayana and S. Srimathy were informed by the State that the police shooting range has been permanently closed since December 31, 2021, and it would not be used for shooting practice.
Taking note of the submission, the judges closed a petition filed by Kavivarman alias Suresh Kanna, of Aranthangi in Pudukkottai. The petitioner, a district secretary of CPI(M), sought a direction to the authorities to close the shooting range in Narthamalai village.
He said the shooting range in Pudukkottai was set up about 20 years ago, and It was mandatory for the duty officers-in-charge to ensure that necessary precautionary measures were followed before the start of shooting practice.
Before commencing, the authorities should alert the nearby villagers by sounding an alarm, hoisting red flags or by informing the residents.
Back in 2001, Murugesan, a person from a nearby village, was also injured by a stray bullet fired from the shooting range, Mr. Kavivarman said. The authorities failed to follow safety measures. No compensation was provided to Mr. Murugesan, and he had to spend from his own pockets for his medical treatment. The negligence on the part of the authorities had taken away the 11-year-old boy’s life in Narthamalai, he added.
The authorities should have taken steps to shift the shooting range after the 2001 incident. But, they failed to do so, the petitioner said and sought a direction to the authorities to shift the shooting range from its present location to a remote place.
