A police officer accidentally shot dead a 64-year-old man at homecoming celebrations in India for Olympic bronze medal-winning boxer Mary Kom, officials said Tuesday. Kom was greeted by large crowds in Churachandpur town in the remote northeastern state of Manipur when the reception in her honour was interrupted by the gunshot. The victim was rushed to hospital but died of his injuries after the accident on Sunday, while the police constable has been arrested. “It was a freak accidental firing that led to the death of a man named Dongjapao during the celebrations,” police official A. Singh told AFP by telephone. Singh said the cultural and entertainment programme had continued after the shooting. Kom, who was born in a village near Churachandpur, had to settle for bronze at London 2012 after she was beaten by Britain’s Nicola Adams, who went on to win the gold medal. The mother-of-two is a national hero in India and is seen as a symbol of unity as she hails from Manipur, a state bordering Myanmar that has been hit by separatist violence for decades. The Times of India reported that Manipur authorities had awarded her $135,000 in cash, three acres (1.2 hectares) of land on which to set up a boxing academy and a promotion to the post of superintendent of police.
