Jammu, Jan 11 (AHN) The teenage son of a village defence committee (VDC) member was killed on Saturday in an accidental firing incident in J&K’s Kishtwar district, officials said on Sunday.

Officials said the 16-year-old son of a VDC member died when his father’s rifle went off accidentally at their home in Kishtwar district. The incident occurred on Saturday night.

“VDG Pyare Lal was cleaning his rifle at his home in Loyee Dhar village of Mughal Maidan around 9.30 pm on Saturday when it accidentally went off.

“The bullet hit his son, Anuj Kumar, who died on the spot.

“A police party immediately rushed to the spot and shifted the body of Kumar, a Class 10 student, to Chatroo hospital for post-mortem.

“Inquest proceedings are underway to ascertain the circumstances leading to the firing. The weapon has been seized for forensic examination and statements of Kumar’s family members are being recorded,” officials said.

Village Defence Committees (VDCs), also called Village Defence Guards (VDGs), were formed in J&K to arm and train villagers for self-defence, especially against terrorists in remote areas.

Established in the 1990s, they comprise ex-servicemen and locals, acting as a force multiplier by leveraging local knowledge, and are now being revamped under the VDG scheme for vulnerable regions.

Created in the mid-1990s in J&K's hilly regions to counter militant attacks, they provided security in areas where security forces often faced delays in reaching remote villages.

The VDC comprises groups of 10-15 volunteers, including ex-servicemen and youth, led by a retired officer and supervised by the police.

Revamped into Village Defence Groups (VDGs) with monthly remuneration for members, the programme’s function is to provide self-defence training and arms (like .303 rifles) to villagers for protection against terrorism.

The VDCs play a significant role in combating militancy, often being the first line of defence.