9-year-old Accidentally Shot Dead by Younger Brother in Karnataka

Sirsi: In a shocking incident, a 9-year-old boy lost his life after being accidentally shot by his 7-year-old younger brother, who accidentally pulled the trigger of an air gun, leading to the incident. The horrifying moment was captured on a CCTV camera installed at the farm where the incident took place. The farm is located in Somanahalli Chipagi village near Sirsi, where the younger brother fired the gun. 

As per the CCTV footage, the victim was playing at the farm when his younger brother came across an air gun. Unaware of the danger, the boy pulled the trigger, firing directly at his elder brother. The impact was fatal, and the nine-year-old collapsed on the spot, as seen in the CCTV footage. The deceased has been identified as the son of Basappa Undi, a daily wage earner from Hosa Kittur village in Haveri district.

Following the incident, Kariyappa’s mother, Pavitra Basappa Undi, 28, lodged a police complaint. Based on her statement, the Sirsi Rural Police registered a case against the farm’s caretaker, Gouda, and farm owner Raghav Hegade (62). They were booked on charges of murder and under the Indian Arms Act for possessing an unlicensed firearm.

ASP Jagadish and CPI Shashikant Varma rushed to the spot for investigation. The case has been registered at the Sirsi Rural Police Station.

According to reports, Pavitra’s family had been working on the farm owned by Ganapathi Hegade, Raghav’s brother, and living on the property. It is alleged that Raghav had obtained the unlicensed air gun and given it to Gouda for use in scaring away monkeys from the farmland.

In her complaint, Pavitra also alleged that Gouda had previously scolded the children for playing around the property and nursed a grudge against them. “On September 5, when the children were playing at the farm, the caretaker used the air gun and fired at my son Kariyappa,” she stated. What was meant to be a playful afternoon for the siblings turned into a devastating tragedy for the family and the community.

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