A 10-year-old boy died after being struck by gunfire during celebratory shooting at a wedding in Pandey Dera, located in the Ganga Shivpur Diyar area under the Sadar Kotwali police station limits in Ballia district on Friday, according to police.
The deceased has been identified as Piyush, who had gone with his father to attend the wedding procession, police said.
According to police, the incident occurred around 10:15 pm when some individuals started firing during the wedding procession. During the commotion, a stray bullet struck Piyush. He was critically injured and rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Upon receiving the information, police reached the scene and began an investigation.
Additional superintendent of police (South), Sanjay Verma, stated that the person responsible for the celebratory firing is reportedly a relative of the deceased. A field unit team has also collected forensic evidence from the scene.
Verma further stated that, based on a written complaint filed by the victim’s family, a case is being registered under relevant sections of the BNS. Multiple police teams have been formed to apprehend the accused, who will be arrested soon.