Nalanda boy dies in‘celebratory’ firing

BIHARSHARIF: A 12-year-old-boy died allegedly in celebratory firing at a birthday party in Nalanda Monday night. His family members, however, claimed the boy was murdered.
According to eyewitnesses, Laddu Kumar, son of Chunnu Paswan, was hit by a bullet fired by co-villager Mantu Kumar at the birthday party of Vikky Kumar at Vansh Gopalpur under Noorsarai police station area. Laddu died on the spot.
Chunnu, however, claimed that Mangrela Kumar had invited Laddu to the birthday party to ‘kill him as he had a long-standing dispute over a piece of land’. Mantu is a relative of Mangrela.
Some villagers, who attended the party, said everyone was dancing with female dancers when Mantu suddenly fired a shot in the air. They said people caught hold of him, took his pistol and locked him in a room. They said shortly thereafter, he somehow came out of the room and fired again, possibly from a different firearm. And this time the bullet hit Laddu.
Noorsarai SHO Virendra Choudhary said when he reached the village on getting information, Laddu’s family had already left for Biharsharif Sadar hospital. He said police have been deployed in the village.
Meanwhile, the 19-year-old Ashish Kumar, son of Bablu Kumar of village Jararpur under Deepnagar police station area, succumbed to the bullet injuries at PMCH on Tuesday. Ashish had allegedly sustained bullet injuries after being caught in the crossfire between two rival groups near his village under Deepnagar Police station area in Nalanda on Monday night.
However, Ashish’s father, in a written statement to the police, said his son had sustained injuries after falling from the terrace of the house. The villagers had earlier said miscreants shot at him after he resisted their attempt to snatch his cellphone. The police claimed the deceased was caught in the crossfire between two rival groups.
Deepnagar SHO Mushtaq Ahmad said no hospital report stated that he had bullet injuries. He said investigation would carry on from different angles.