STATE TIMES NEWS
MUMBAI: Actor Govinda was injured in the leg on Tuesday after his revolver accidentally went off at his Mumbai residence when he was about to leave for the airport, police said.
Dr Ramesh Agarwal, who tended to the 60-year-old actor after the accident, said Govinda is recuperating in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a private hospital and will be discharged in a few days.
Govinda, a favourite with audiences for his impeccable comic timing and dancing skills, later issued a statement informing his fans he is doing better.
“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.
According to the doctor, the bullet hit him below his left knee and that he had got 8-10 stitches.
“He came to me at 5 am. His daughter and I brought him to the hospital later. He had an X-ray there following which he underwent the operation.
“The bullet was stuck, we have removed it. He was bleeding, but it stopped later. He is comfortable now. He will be in the hospital for one-two days. He got 8-10 stitches, otherwise everything is ok,” Agarwal told reporters here.
Mumbai Police on Tuesday enhanced security outside the actor’s Juhu residence, an official said.
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 trigger of the licensed revolver got pushed accidentally while the actor was keeping it in the cupboard.
A bullet then hit his leg, police said.
According to Govinda’s brother Kirti Kumar, it was a “strange” incident, adding he was “lucky to survive”.
“He was just checking the revolver when it accidentally slipped from his hand and fired. Thankfully, he reached the hospital on time. He’s okay now.
“The operation was successful. The doctors say he’s recovering well and needs to stay in the hospital for 2-3 days. But if he feels better, he might go home today itself,” Kumar told reporters here.
Earlier in the day, a police official said Govinda had been discharged and was recuperating at home.
The injured actor was admitted to the Criti Care Hospital near his residence for treatment.
No one has lodged any complaint in this matter, police said, adding that an investigation had begun. A police team reached Govinda’s home in the morning to conduct panchnama.
The licensed revolver, which accidentally went off, has been seized by the police officials for further probe, an official said.
Crime branch officials also visited the actor at the hospital, he said.
Govind Arun Ahuja, better known by his stage name Govinda, made his film debut with the 1986 film “Love 86”.
A ruling star of Hindi cinema in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Govinda has appeared in more than 165 films in his career spanning four decades.
His film credits include “Ilzaam”, “Gambler”, “Aankhen”, “Raja Babu”, “Saajan Chale Sasural”, “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan “, “Bhagam Bhag”, and “Partner”.
The actor was last seen in 2019’s “Rangeela Raja”.
In March, a month before the Lok Sabha elections, Govinda joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
This marked Govinda’s re-entry into the political landscape after nearly two decades. The actor won the 2004 poll battle from the Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency on a Congress ticket before stepping away from politics in 2008.