People celebrate Team India’s World Cup triumph in Agartala on Saturday. Picture by UB Photos

Imphal, April 3: One of the bullets allegedly fired by Assam Rifles troops last night to celebrate Team India’s victory in the cricket World Cup travelled nearly a kilometre, hit the iron roof of a house and killed a 70-year-old woman sleeping inside.

Police said the matter was under investigation but villagers of Nongangkhong Bamon Leirak in Thoubal asserted that the woman was killed in the celebratory firing by the security forces at the post of the 15 Assam Rifles at Tom Ching.

Waikhom Mani Devi was sleeping in her bed when the bullet hit her on the left side of her back around 12.30am.

She was immediately taken to the government hospital at the district headquarters, but was declared dead on arrival.

It appears that the bullet fell from the air and hit her in her sleep.

The police confirmed that there was a bullet hole on the corrugated iron roof.

Villagers said roofs and walls of about 10 houses were hit by bullets fired from sophisticated weapons.

The police also recovered eight projectiles of Insas rifle from courtyards, verandas and walls of surrounding houses.

The Assam Rifles clarified that around 11.30 last night, during a change of security guards and pickets at the post, a burst was accidentally discharged during the routine handing/taking over and checking of weapons.

“The house of the victim is at a distance of about 800 meters from the Assam Rifles post. The possibility of the accidental discharge by the weapon and the death is being investigated,” the Assam Rifles PRO said in a release this evening.

It said the Assam Rifles was extending complete cooperation and assistance to the family of the victim, the police and the local people investigating the matter.

A joint team of the police and personnel of the Assam Rifles post also examined the woman’s house today.