E-Paper
Hit by stray bullet, 8-yr-old boy hospitalised in Ludhiana
An eight-year-old boy, identified as Krishan, who lives with his family in a shanty near the grain market on Gill Road, sustained a bullet injury in his stomach while sleeping inside the makeshift dwelling
Prefer HTon Google
Three gunfire-related incidents were reported in different parts of the city on Diwali night, leaving an eight-year-old boy injured by a stray bullet. Bullets also hit a former councillor’s car and a shell landed near two teenage girls sitting on the rooftop of their house.
In the first incident, an eight-year-old boy, identified as Krishan, who lives with his family in a shanty near the grain market on Gill Road, sustained a bullet injury in his stomach while sleeping inside the makeshift dwelling.
His mother, Deepa, said she was preparing dinner when she suddenly heard her son screaming in pain. She rushed inside and noticed an injury on his stomach. On examining it closely, she realised that he had been hit by a bullet.
“My son was crying in pain and was about to lose consciousness. In an attempt to save him, I took out the bullet and rushed him to the civil hospital. I have no idea where the bullet came from,” she said.
The hospital authorities subsequently informed the police about the incident. Inspector Balveer Singh, SHO, Shimlapuri police station, said the boy was safe and stable. The police were awaiting statements from his parents to register an FIR.
In the second incident, a bullet pierced through the roof of a Hyundai Creta belonging to former councillor Kuldeep Singh Neeta, who is associated with the Aam Aadmi Party. The vehicle was parked outside his house in New Guru Angad Dev Colony on Waheguru Road. Neeta said he noticed a hole in the car’s roof on Monday morning. On checking the vehicle, the family found a bullet inside it.
He alleged that he had been receiving threats from international phone numbers and suspected that the firing could be linked to those threats.
However, the police suspect that the vehicle was hit by a stray bullet fired into the air during Diwali celebrations. Inspector Balveer Singh said the preliminary investigation suggested that someone had fired a gunshot in the air, which subsequently hit the parked car. The police have recorded the victim’s statement and are in the process of registering a case.
In the third incident, two teenage sisters sitting on the rooftop of their house in Ranjit Singh Park, near Division Number 3, had a scare when a bullet shell allegedly landed close to them on Diwali night.
The girls immediately rushed downstairs and informed their family members. The family later went to the rooftop, recovered the shell and alerted the police.
Inspector Gurjeet Singh, SHO, Division Number 3 police station, said a bullet shell had been recovered from the spot, indicating that someone in the neighbourhood might have fired a gunshot. The police are gathering details of residents possessing licensed firearms in the locality as part of the investigation.
