CHANDIGARH/TRICHY: An IPS officer under the influence of alcohol repeatedly fired a gun into the air at the Circuit House near the Ariyalur collector office, triggering panic in surrounding areas in the early hours of Sunday.The gunshots were fired by Haryana cadre DIG Hemant Kalson using the service rifle of a police constable on duty at the house.No one was injured in the incident. Hemant, who was posted in Ariyalur as an election observer by the Election Commission, has been relieved of his duties and an FIR registered against him.“In an inebriated state, he came out of his room in the early hours of Sunday and asked one of the security personnel posted there if the rifle in his possession will fire. When he said that the gun is in good condition, the top cop pulled the gun from him and fired nine rounds in the air,” said one of the police security personnel on duty.The policeman on duty at the Circuit House apprised Ariyalur collector M Vijayalakshmi, who is also the returning officer for Chidambaram parliamentary constituency, of the incident. Vijayalakshmi, along with Ariyalur SP V R Srinivasan and Perambalur SP Disha Mittal, rushed to the spot and questioned Hemant. They briefed the state election commission about the turn of events. The gun was snatched from the officer.Posted with the Haryana Vigilance Bureau, DIG Kalson is not new to controversies. He was roughed up and injured after a road rage incident near Pinjore, Haryana, on September 23 last year.The matter had come to light only when three video clips of the incident went viral after two days. No FIR was registered in this connection.In the video clips, he was heard allegedly begging forgiveness from the crowd assaulting him. In the video clips, DIG Kalson was in plain clothes and bleeding from mouth. He could be heard introducing himself as DIG with Haryana police and saying, “Bhai galti ho gayi, haath jood diye aur kya karun (It was my fault. I folded my hands, what else can I do).”The senior cop, who was posted at Panchkula at that time, had confirmed the incident later. “I was coming from my brother’s house in Pinjore to Sector 17 vigilance police station in Panchkula. I was accompanied by my friend Rajesh Vashisht and I was driving. There is a liquor vend at the beginning of the bypass and at that time, many vehicles were parked there. In the meantime, a Scorpio driver overtook me in a reckless manner and I intercepted the car after a brief chase. I called a PCR and handed over the driver to officials to take action against him. I also slapped the driver three-four times before handing him over to police. Subsequently, a mob, standing at the liquor vend, came and assaulted me. I requested them not to indulge in violence.”

Stay updated with all the Latest Trichy headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.