Sandeep Singh, who is recovering in Chandigarh, on Tuesday. (Reuters)

Chandigarh: The Indian hockey team’s prospects at the World Cup in Germany next month suffered a major setback on Tuesday when penalty-corner specialist Sandeep Singh was accidentally shot by Mohar Singh, an RPF assistant sub-inspector (ASI).

Sandeep and India forward Rajpal Singh were travelling on the Delhi-bound Chandigarh Shatabdi Express on Tuesday morning. They were to join the Indian squad in the capital before leaving for the World Cup in Germany.

The incident occurred near Kurukshetra. The ASI, who was on duty, was sitting behind Sandeep when his service pistol accidentally went off.

Sandeep was hit just above the waist to the right of the spine.

“The intestines seem to have ruptured, but no harm seems to have been caused to Sandeep’s spine. The operation to take out the bullet will provide the exact details of the extent of his injuries,” said Indian Hockey Federation vice-president and Punjab ADGP (law and order) Chandrashekhar.

Sandeep was rushed to Kurukshetra’s Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Hospital after the train was halted at the city.

He was later transferred to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research here where he underwent a CT Scan.

Late in the afternoon, doctors operated on him to remove the bullet.

A doctor involved in the two-hour operation said it had been successful and that Sandeep was out of danger. “He will, however, take some time to recover fully,” the doctor said.

“We are praying for his recovery. He is a strong both in health and spirit. He will bounce back and help recover the hockey glory that was once an inherent part of Indian sports,” mother Daljeet Kaur said.

The Indians were to leave on Thursday for the World Cup in Moenchengladbach from September 6-17.

Meanwhile, Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the state government would bear the expenditure of the treatment, with Rs 50,000 already being handed over to Sandeep’s parents to meet immediate needs.