Jawan found dead in Ayodhya’s high-security Ram Temple zone

Ayodhya: In a troubling incident within the high-security zone of the Lord Shree Ram temple in Ayodhya, a jawan deployed for the temple’s security died from bullet injuries under suspicious circumstances early Wednesday morning.

The jawan, identified as 25-year-old Shatrughan Vishwakarma, was found with a bullet wound to his forehead near the VIP gate under construction in front of the Koteshwar temple, approximately 150 meters from the main Ram Mandir. Upon hearing the gunshot, his fellow security personnel immediately transported him to the hospital, and subsequently to the trauma center, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

Senior officers, including the Inspector General (IG) and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Ayodhya, rushed to the scene with a forensic team and other experts to investigate the incident.

The police and forensic team are currently examining the scene to determine how the jawan was shot in the middle of his forehead. SSP Ayodhya, Rajkaran Nayer, stated that according to the Guard Commander, Vishwakarma had apparently shot himself, prompting an immediate rush to the hospital where he was later declared dead. Nayer confirmed that further investigations are ongoing.

This incident marks the second death of a jawan deployed for Ram temple security due to a bullet injury. On March 26 of this year, commando Ram Pratap, posted within the Ram temple premises, was accidentally shot while cleaning his AK-47. He recovered after treatment at the Lucknow Trauma Center. Additionally, PAC jawan Kuldeep Kumar died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound with his service revolver in the red zone on August 25, 2023.