2 juveniles apprehended for shooting classmate in Gurugram; old school quarrel suspected: Police

On Friday night, one of the accused invited the victim out, and after having food together, they went to the accused’s rented flat in Sector 48, where they fired at him: Police

Gurugram: Two juveniles were apprehended for allegedly shooting their 17-year-old classmate with one of the suspect’s father’s licensed pistols in Gurugram’s Sector 48 late on Friday night, police said, adding that the victim is undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

The boy had been taken to the hospital by his family before the police arrived, the officer said.

Police suspect that a two-month-old quarrel at school among the three Class 11 students led to Friday’s attack. “On Friday night, one of the accused invited the victim out, and after having food together, they went to the accused’s rented flat in Sector 48, where they fired at him,” assistant commissioner of police (crime) Varun Dahiya said.

A team from the Sadar police station reached the spot after the control room received a call around midnight regarding a boy being shot. The boy had been taken to the hospital by his family before the police arrived, the officer said.

During the inspection, forensic and fingerprint experts recovered a pistol, two magazines, five live cartridges, one empty shell, and another magazine containing 65 live rounds from a box inside the room.

The weapon was found to belong to the accused’s father, a property dealer, who had kept it at home. Police are also examining his role for alleged negligence in securing the weapon.

The victim’s mother told police that her son had gone to meet a school friend near Kherki Daula toll plaza after the friend insisted. “The two had a dispute about two months ago. The friend took the victim to a rented accommodation in Sector 48 where, along with another classmate, he allegedly fired at the victim with intent to kill. The mother said that she had refused him permission to step out but he left saying he would be back soon,” Gurugram police spokesperson Sandeep Kumar said.

Haryana director general of police O.P. Singh said, “I have instructed all SPs and CPs to alert arms licence holders in their jurisdictions about such dangers and arrange essential training on how to handle and store weapons safely.”

“This is a generation raised on video games — they often fail to understand that gunfire is not a game. Parents and schools must focus on teaching children people skills and conflict resolution so that such violent confrontations never arise,” Singh added.