New Delhi: A 26-year-old Army jawan, part of the President’s security team, was shot in the head following a dispute over bursting firecrackers on Diwali night in Uttar Pradesh’s Gopalpur Khadan village, police said.
Saurabh Tomar, who serves as one of the President’s guards, had returned home to celebrate Diwali with his family. On November 8, his brother Vineet was bursting firecrackers outside their house when a verbal altercation broke out with their neighbours, brothers Dheeraj and Monu.
“On November 8, we received information around 9.15 pm that a man had been shot in the head,” a senior officer from the Ramala police station in Baghpat told ThePrint.
The officer said Dheeraj allegedly fired at Tomar, hitting him above the ear. “The incident took place at 9.10 pm on Sunday. When Dheeraj fired, the bullet first hit the wall and then struck Tomar’s head,” he said.
Family members rushed Tomar to a hospital, where doctors performed surgery and removed the bullet. He is now in stable condition, the officer said.
Recounting the events, the officer said Dheeraj and Monu had stepped out of their house to object to Vineet bursting firecrackers. The disagreement soon escalated into a fight, during which Dheeraj allegedly threatened the Tomar family before pulling out a country-made pistol and opening fire.
The two brothers also allegedly assaulted Vineet after the shooting and threatened the family with dire consequences.
An initial investigation revealed that Dheeraj had been placed under preventive detention in 2015. Both accused have since fled, and several police teams are tracking them, the officer said.
The police have registered an FIR against the two brothers.
(Edited by Anupama Yadav)
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