Police is investigating the case as unnatural death and said they were looking into two theories - suicide and accident.
Police continued to investigate the possibility that Rear Admiral SS Jamwal may have committed suicide although the navy has maintained it is an accidental death.
Police sources said that the bullet that fatally hit Jamwal in a naval firing range here yesterday entered his head just above his right ear and exited just above the left ear, strengthening police suspicion it could be a suicide.
Police is investigating the case as unnatural death and said they were looking into two theories - suicide and accident.
51-year-old Jamwal, chief of staff of the southern naval command and the second ranked officer of the training centre, had a bullet entry wound one cm above his right ear and exit wound 3 cm above the left ear, the sources said.
The injuries would be at an 'oblique' angle if it was an accident and the chances of survival would be more, they said. A post-mortem was done on the body today.
Two 'important eyewitness' were questioned the police said. But they claimed they had not noticed how he handled the weapon.
"We will interrogate them further within 2 days to get a clear picture", the sources said.
The navy has maintained that the rear admiral, second most important officer in the southern naval command, had died
in 'accidental firing' as a pistol he was inspecting accidentally went off at the INS Dronacharya, the navy's training establishment yesterday.
Meanwhile, the funeral of Admiral SS Jamwal would be held with military honours tomorrow at a corporation crematorium at nearby Thoppumpady.
The 10th day ceremony would be conducted in Jammu, Tawi, his hometown on July 16, and the 13th day ceremonies on July 19, the navy said in a press release.
The body of the officer was handed over to the family by police after the post mortem examination at the Alapuzha medical college hospital.
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