Man seriously injured in forest shooting incident in Mandi’s Balh tehsil

A man was seriously injured after being shot during a party in a forest area under the Balh tehsil in Mandi district yesterday evening. The incident occurred when Kamal Thakur, who had gone into the forest with two friends, was reportedly hit by pellets on his back while going for a toilet break. According to police sources, Kamal and his two friends were partying in the forest when the incident took place late yesterday evening. After Kamal went into the bushes for a short while, his friends heard a loud noise resembling a gunshot. Rushing to the spot, they found Kamal injured with pellet wounds on his back, indicating a possible shotgun firing.

The injured man was immediately taken to Nerchowk Medical College but, due to the severity of his injuries, was referred to PGI Chandigarh for advanced treatment. Initial police investigation suggests the possibility of illegal hunting activity in the forest, though officers are not ruling out other angles. A case has been registered under the Arms Act, and further investigation is underway. Police are also probing whether the group carried any weapons themselves or if there were others present in the area at the time of the incident. Local villagers are being questioned to gather more information.

Mandi SP Sakshi Verma confirmed the registration of a case and assured that a detailed probe is ongoing. “The accused will be arrested soon,” the SP said.