Careless shooting by GVMC team kills one

VISAKHAPATNAM: In a freak accident, a man was killed when a bullet fired by one of the team members appointed by Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) to kill pigs hit him in his chest at Vadlapudi area near Gajuwaka in the city on Friday.According to sources, the incident occurred when 62- year-old D Narasimha Rao, a resident of Ganeshnagar Colony and a retired employee of water supply wing of GVMC, was going to Gajuwaka market on foot to get some medicines for his daughter at around 5.30 pm.At that time, a three-member team of GVMC were engaged in shooting pigs in the area. While one of the team members opened fire to shoot a pig, he missed the target and hit Rao who died on the spot.The sources said the shooters led by K Surendra Babu had killed four pigs by that time. Before the locals could come to know about the incident, the shooters fled in a jeep without informing any official of GVMC.Soon after, some residents of the Ganeshnagar Colony and Gajuwaka blocked NH-5 for nearly 30 minutes demanding arrest of the culprits.On being informed, City Veterinary Officer of GVMC B Rammohan Rao and police rushed to the spot and pacified the agitators.Police have registered a case.In-charge Commissioner of GVMC Kona Sasidhar has directed GVMC officials to conduct an enquiry into the issue and submit a report.In a similar careless shooting in the city last year, a tenant farmer K Narayana died after being hit by bullets fired from a double barrel gun at Lakshmipuram village in Bheemunipatnam mandal in the city.Narayana was near the pond when BSSN Raju, a former public prosecutor and practising advocate, was shooting ducks in a pond.Raju reportedly missed the target and hit the farmer.