In Faridabad, a 32-year-old woman named Kavita discovered a bullet lodged in her leg for nearly two decades while cleaning a wound. She had been experiencing pain and infection for two months, leading her to investigate.
A routine attempt to clean an infected wound turned into a shocking discovery for a 32-year-old woman in Faridabad, after she accidentally pulled out a bullet that had been lodged in her leg for nearly two decades—an injury she never knew was caused by gunfire.
Kavita (single name), a resident of Dabua Colony, had been suffering from pain and infection at the back of her right thigh for the past two months, as per a HT report. On Sunday evening, while cleaning the wound at home, she felt a hard object inside.
“During cleaning, I felt something unusual. I slowly pulled it out and realised it was a bullet,” she said, still trying to process the moment.
The discovery triggered memories from Kavita’s childhood. She recalled sustaining a deep injury at the same spot when she was 12 years old, while studying at a government school in Kota Khandewala village in Tauru, Nuh.
“There was an armed forces firing range near the school. In 2005, while I was writing my Class 6 exam in the school grounds, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my thigh,” she said.
At the time, she was bleeding and was sent home by teachers, who believed she had been hit by a stone thrown accidentally by other children playing nearby.
“No one imagined it could be a bullet,” she added.
Stray Bullet, Silent for Years
Kavita said her family bandaged the wound, which healed completely and caused no trouble for years. It was only two months ago that an infection developed at the same spot and refused to heal despite treatment. “After the bullet came out, the pain has reduced significantly,” she said.
Her husband, Pradeep Singh (37), said they later consulted a doctor. “The doctor told us the bullet appeared to be from a self-loading rifle,” he said.
Doctors at Badshah Khan Civil Hospital explained how the bullet could remain embedded for so long without causing serious harm.
Dr Upendra Bhardwaj said the stray bullet likely lost its velocity before hitting the child and became lodged in the muscle without damaging any artery or nerve.
“Because she was young, the wound healed. Over time, the body formed a protective tissue layer around the bullet as a defence mechanism. That layer eventually ruptured, leading to infection,” he explained.
