A 35-year-old Behala resident was allegedly shot at with an air rifle on Sunday night while sipping tea with friends in his neighbourhood. The suspected shooter is a 17-year-old boy.

Police said Abhishek Roy, who works at a nationalised bank, underwent surgery on Monday to remove the projectile lodged in his abdomen. Roy lives on SN Roy Road and was having tea at Banamali Ghosh Lane, a few blocks from his home, when he suddenly felt a sharp pain.

Eyewitnesses said they heard what sounded like a firing noise before Roy collapsed on the road, complaining of abdominal pain. “We removed his sweater and saw that a bullet had passed through his clothes and pierced his abdomen,” said one person who was present at the spot.

Officers from Behala police station took Roy to Vidyasagar State General Hospital. He was later referred to SSKM Hospital, where doctors operated on him on Monday.

Initially, police were unsure where the shot had come from. “When our officers reached the spot, it was not immediately clear from where the firing had taken place,” said Rahul De, Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner (south-west). “A closer investigation revealed that the shot was fired from the balcony on the third floor of a residential building across the road.”

A police team visited the apartment and recovered an air gun, which has since been seized and sent for forensic examination to determine its make and calibre. According to police sources, the alleged shooter is a 17-year-old school student who lives in the building. During questioning, the boy told officers that the firing was accidental.

Air guns are commonly used for recreational shooting, such as target practice or bursting balloons at fairs. Most air guns do not require a licence. However, police said that an air rifle of 0.22 calibre does require a valid licence, and possession without one can attract charges under arms-related laws.

“If the forensic report confirms that the weapon is of 0.22 calibre and the boy’s father fails to produce a licence, we will initiate formal action,” a police officer said. The boy’s father is a senior official in a bank, police sources added.

Based on a complaint filed by Roy’s family, police have registered a case under sections related to attempt to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

For now, the case has been registered against an “unknown person”. The police have also forwarded a report on the incident to the Juvenile Justice Board. The teenager was produced before the board on Monday, though no order had been passed till the evening.

Roy’s mother, Ranu, said her son was fortunate to have survived the incident. “He is simply lucky that the bullet did not hit his head or any vital organ,” she said. “It is unbelievable that my son has been shot like this so close to our home. He has always kept good company and never mixed with bad people.”