Ranipet: A temple festival in Thenkadappanthangal village near Walajapet turned tense in the early hours of Sunday when a 20-year-old man fired an air gun into the air after the ceremonial chariot carrying the deity failed to stop at his grandmother’s house.
The two-day Draupadi Amman “Duryodhanan Padukala” festival brings in hundreds of worshippers every year. A little after 2 a.m. on May 18, the brightly decorated cart carrying the goddess passed the house of an elderly woman named Vijaya. She had hoped the cart would stop so she could do a small prayer (archana), but it did not. Upset, Vijaya began arguing with the festival organisers.
Vijaya’s grandson, Bhuvaneswaran, who was visiting from Chennai, acted without thinking. He grabbed an air gun kept in the house, walked outside, and fired it into the air. People nearby were shocked, and the festival stopped for a moment. Villagers quickly held him back, and thankfully, no one was hurt.
Organisers lodged a complaint at the Walajapet police station. Inspector-in-charge S Karthikeyan told reporters that officers recovered the air gun and traced its purchase to a banned e-commerce site. “The weapon, resembling a real firearm, was bought online for about Rs 7,000,” he said.
Police charged Bhuvaneswaran under the Arms Act and two sections of the Indian Penal Code relating to criminal intimidation and endangering public safety. He was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.
Authorities have urged festival committees to coordinate routes and stoppages in advance to avoid misunderstandings, and reminded the public that even replica or air-powered weapons can attract serious legal consequences.
