Rooftop gunshot mystery: Groping in the dark, Lucknow police likely to reconstruct scene
Assistant commissioner of police (ACP), Ghazipur, Anindya Vikram Singh said the next step could involve reconstructing the incident at the scene. “We are trying to determine the trajectory of the bullet. If we do not get concrete leads, we could recreate the scene to assess the possible direction and height from which the shot may have been fired,” he said.
More than six weeks after a three-year-old girl was struck by a stray bullet while playing on her terrace in Indira Nagar’s Bastauli locality within the Ghazipur police station limits, police are yet to find out who fired the shot. With conventional leads exhausted, investigators are now considering recreating the incident to determine the bullet’s trajectory and possible point of origin.
The child, Lakshmi, underwent a rare and complex surgery at the King George’s Medical University (KGMU), where doctors gave her a new lease of life by removing the “wandering” bullet.
Assistant commissioner of police (ACP), Ghazipur, Anindya Vikram Singh said the next step could involve reconstructing the incident at the scene. “We are trying to determine the trajectory of the bullet. If we do not get concrete leads, we could recreate the scene to assess the possible direction and height from which the shot may have been fired,” he said.
Police may also attempt to speak with the child once she is discharged, though officers acknowledge her age limits what she may be able to recall.
Doctors at KGMU found that the bullet had entered the left frontal region of her skull. According to neurosurgeon Dr Ankur Bajaj, the projectile initially lodged superficially in the frontal lobe before migrating deeper towards the basal region of the brain.
While the child initially experienced difficulty in movement and speech and suffered episodes of fever, doctors said her condition had improved significantly. She is now able to move her limbs, grasp objects and respond to instructions, and is likely to be discharged on Saturday, Dr Bajaj said.
{{/usCountry}}While the child initially experienced difficulty in movement and speech and suffered episodes of fever, doctors said her condition had improved significantly. She is now able to move her limbs, grasp objects and respond to instructions, and is likely to be discharged on Saturday, Dr Bajaj said.
{{/usCountry}}As per reports, Lakshmi, daughter of Ramesh, was playing under a tin shed on the rooftop with her two elder brothers on December 16, 2025, when a sudden sharp sound was heard. Moments later, the child collapsed with a bleeding head wound.
{{/usCountry}}As per reports, Lakshmi, daughter of Ramesh, was playing under a tin shed on the rooftop with her two elder brothers on December 16, 2025, when a sudden sharp sound was heard. Moments later, the child collapsed with a bleeding head wound.
{{/usCountry}}Initially mistaking it for an accidental injury, family members rushed her to a nearby private hospital where the wound was stitched. However, after her condition deteriorated later that night, she was shifted to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences and subsequently to King George’s Medical University (KGMU), where scans revealed she had suffered a gunshot wound.
{{/usCountry}}Initially mistaking it for an accidental injury, family members rushed her to a nearby private hospital where the wound was stitched. However, after her condition deteriorated later that night, she was shifted to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences and subsequently to King George’s Medical University (KGMU), where scans revealed she had suffered a gunshot wound.
{{/usCountry}}For the police, however, the case remains unresolved. Investigators have reviewed CCTV footage from over 20 houses and nearby religious places, checked for any events involving celebratory firing, and verified records of licensed firearm holders in the area. None of these efforts have yielded a clear lead.
A case has been registered against an unidentified person under Section 109(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (attempt to murder). SHO Ajay Narayan Singh said teams continue to survey surrounding rooftops, open plots and elevated structures that could have served as firing points.
Lakshmi’s father said the family remains traumatised by the incident. “There was no firing in our house or anywhere nearby that we know of. We still can’t understand how this happened,” Ramesh said.
