Chandigarh, Nov 13 (IANS): An IAS officer in Punjab had a narrow escape when a stray bullet hit his bed while he was lying during the Diwali night in a high-security government residential locality here, police said on Monday.

Ruling out animosity with anyone, Varinder Kumar Sharma, a 2009-batch IAS officer of Punjab cadre, told the media that he and his family are safe. He suspected it to be a celebratory gunfire.

“I have no animosity with anyone so that angle is ruled out. I suspect that a celebratory firing was going on in nearby residence and a stray bullet landed in our bedroom through window around 11.10 p.m. on Diwali night. We had a narrow escape and immediately police was informed,” he said.

The police is suspecting that either a miscreant fired a bullet and fled or a gunman deputed in the area shot a bullet from his service revolver while celebrating Diwali.

The incident occurred at a locality housing residences of bureaucrats and judicial officers in Sector 24.

Sharma is currently serving as the Managing Director of Punjab Health Systems Corporation and Secretary of Punjab State Human Rights Commission.