Hyderabad, Nov 8 (IANS): A police constable was critically injured when his rifle went off in Telangana's Kumaram Bheem Asifabad district on Tuesday.

The incident occurred in Koutala police station when constable Sura Rajini Kumar was on sentry duty.

The bullet pierced through the constable's jaw. He was shifted to a hospital in Karimnagar where he was battling for life.

Police were investigating to find out if he shot himself to end his life or the rifle went off accidentally.

According to police, the personnel on duty in the station heard gunshots around 5 a.m. They rushed out and saw the constable on sentry duty lying in a pool of blood.

He was taken to a private hospital in Kaghaznagar, but when his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to Karimnagar.

A native of Batwanpalli village of Mancherial district, the constable was from 13th Battalion of Telangana State Special Police.

This is the third incident of misfire in erstwhile Adilabad district during the last two years.

On June 7, 2020, a security guard was injured when his rifle went off while discharging duties in the camp office of Nirmal district collector.

In February, 2020, a police constable was injured as his gun misfired when he was cleaning it in the Tiryani police station in Adilabad district.