Sword attack on 4 teens in Gorakhpur

GORAKHPUR: Four minor boys were attacked with swords and iron rods by an unidentified group of people at Ghosipurwa under Tiwaripur thana area of the town in the small hours of Tuesday.
While a 14-year-old's three fingers were chopped off, another of the same age was stabbed in the stomach. Two others, including a 15-year-old, were thrashed with rods leading to severe head injuries.Two of the boys are critical and admitted to the district hospital.
Preliminary police investigation suggests the attack was the fallout of a scuffle between two groups of teenagers on Monday evening at Bale Miyan ka Mela, a month-long fair that is meant to promote communal harmony.
SSP Sunil Gupta said at the fair, one group of adolescent boys reportedly beat up another group of teenagers. "The attack was possibly in retaliation. An FIR was lodged against unidentified persons on Tuesday night. We have added a section today (Wednesday)," he said.
Sources in police said the FIR had originally been lodged under Sections 147 (rioting) and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the IPC. But, Section 324 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) was added on Wednesday. Family members of the injured boys claimed the assailants were from the other community. "Around 15-20 people arrived in a tempo, intercepted the boys and attacked them with swords and stumps. They dragged my son inside the tempo and assaulted him," said the mother of one of the critically injured victims.