A training session on the use of smoke grenades for crowd control was underway at the district police lines when a sudden grenade explosion injured two police personnel.

According to police sources, the incident occurred during a training programme at the Jangipur Police Parade Ground in Murshidabad yesterday. The district superintendent of police was also present at the scene. An investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the accident. Sources revealed that during the training, a police officer threw a grenade towards the feet of some officers, stating that it was harmless. However, the grenade exploded on impact, scattering shrapnel and injuring two personnel. Both were admitted to Jangipur Sub-Divisional Hospital. One ASI-ranked officer sustained serious injuries on his leg and was later transferred to a government hospital in Durgapur. The training session, involving constables and attended by around 150 officers, took place on Thursday.

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The explosion caused panic among the attendees. Smoke grenades are commonly used by the police during protests or unrest. The injured personnel are being provided with necessary medical care. In addition to the ASI, a constable also sustained injuries but was discharged after initial treatment at the Jangipur Sub-Divisional Hospital. Jangipur SP Anand Roy described the incident as an accident, stating, “This was an isolated incident during training. A shrapnel from the smoke grenade hit one person’s leg.”