Mumbai: Actor Govinda hospitalised after gun ‘misfires’ in his Juhu residence

V Narayan (THE TIMES OF INDIA; October 2, 2024)

Mumbai: Actor-politician Govinda suffered a bullet injury on his left leg due to accidental discharge of a revolver at his Juhu home on Tuesday, said the police. The accident happened around 4.45 am when he was about to leave home to catch a 6 am flight to Kolkata for a show, according to his manager Shashi Sinha.

The actor was inspecting the licensed 0.32 bore firearm before putting it back it in the locker, said Juhu police, adding it slipped from his hand, causing the trigger to activate and fire a bullet a few inches below the knee.

He was taken to Criticare Hospital in Juhu where a surgery was performed. Dr Ramesh Agarwal, who tended to the 60-year-old actor, said "The bullet was stuck, we have removed it. He was bleeding, but it stopped. He is comfortable now. He will be in the hospital for one-two days. He got 8-10 stitches, otherwise everything is ok."

Deputy commissioner of police (Zone IX) Dikshit Gedam said it was an accident and no FIR has been filed. Police recorded an accident report. Statements of all witnesses to the incident will be noted.

At the time of the incident, only Govinda and his guards were present in the house. "The incident occurred just before he was to leave for Kolkata. His wife and other family members were in Kolkata. The actor's guards, who are also police personnel, rushed him to the hospital," said the Juhu police officer. His manager, Shashi Sinha, told TOI: "By God's grace, he is fine. He has been in possession of the revolver for the last 25 years."

Govind Arun Ahuja, better known by his screen name Govinda, later issued a statement. "With the blessings of my fans, my parents and god, I am doing better now. I was hit by a bullet, which has now been removed. I thank the doctor here, Dr Agarwal ji. I thank all of you for your prayers," the "Hero No 1" actor and a member of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena said in the audio message. Govinda joined the Shiv Sena in March, a month before the Lok Sabha elections, The actor was last seen in a film in 2019, Rangeela Raja.
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Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; October 2, 2024)

Actor and politician Govinda was rushed to a hospital near his Juhu residence early on Tuesday morning after he accidentally shot himself in the leg due to a misfire. His daughter Tina, who rushed him to the hospital in their car, told Bombay Times, “This happened at 4.45 am. He was leaving for Kolkata for some work. He was keeping his licensed revolver in the cupboard safe before leaving for the airport.

The revolver wasn’t locked, it slipped from his hand, fell and accidentally fired. The bullet hit his left leg between the knee and the ankle in the front. There was heavy blood loss, and I rushed him to the closest hospital. Thankfully, his staff, including his driver, was ready to go to the airport, which helped a lot. The bullet has been removed, and he’s stable now, but the doctors have kept him under observation in the ICU for at least a day. After he is discharged, he will have to rest it out for a few weeks.”

Certain reports claimed that he was cleaning the firearm when the accident happened. Tina clarified that he was just keeping it in the cupboard and not cleaning it when the accident occurred. She said, "Dad wasn’t cleaning his revolver; he was keeping it in the safe when it fell and accidentally fired."

To ensure no false information spreads about his accident, the actor recorded a voice note to briefly explain what led to the firing.

He said, “Namashkaar, pranaam, Main Hoon Govinda. Aap sab logon ka aashirwaad, maa baap aur guru ki krupa ke wajah se... mujhe jo goli lagi thi, woh nikaal di gayee hai. Main dhanyawad deta hoon yahaan ke doctor kaa, aadarniya doctor Agarwaal ji kaa aur aap sab logon ki praartahana jo hai... aap logon ka dhanyawaa.”

When this incident happened, the actor’s wife, Sunita, was in Jaipur while his son Yash was abroad. As soon as they were told about it, they left for Mumbai.