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[url="http://www.hindustantimes.com/Southern-naval-command-chief-dies-in-accidental-firing/H1-Article1-568668.aspx"]Southern naval command chief dies in 'accidental firing'[/url]

The Indian Navy's southern command chief, Rear Admiral J S Jamwal (51), died in a "freak firing incident" at INS Dhronacharya in Kochi, on Kerala coast. This is the first time such a senior officer was killed in an "accidental firing". According to a Navy spokesman in Kochi the Admiral received a single bullet injury on his head while inspecting a pistol at the shooting range of the ship around 10.30 in the morning. Ruling out any foul play he said the Navy has ordered a high-level probe into this.



He refused to divulge details how the incident happened and what type of pistol the Admiral inspected. Soon after the incident he was rushed to a private hospital where he was declared brought dead.

However, top sources in the police claimed that it was a suicide.



"After firing two rounds at the target he fired the third behind his temple," a senior police officer who preferred anonymity told the Hindustan Times. "True, the Navy cannot portray it as a suicide. It may affect the morale of the force. Such a senior officer who is specialised in training and commando operations will never met with a such an end," he added.



But the Navy stoutly denied this. "There are many speculations doing the rounds. A senior officer, if he wants to commit suicide he shouldn't have chosen the firing range. Please don't drag the decorated officer in unnecessary controversies," Commodore Ajaya Kumar said in a press conference in Kochi.



A resident of Jammu the Admiral is survived by his wife Geetha Jamwal and two children. An illustrious officer the Admiral was commissioned in the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer in 1980 and had specialized in anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and commando training