Bhopal News: Girl’s Death In Celebratory Firing; Weapons Seized From Licensed Owner For Ballistic Examination

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Police have seized a .315 bore rifle and fired cartridges from a licensed owner and sent them to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Sagar, for ballistic examination following the death of a 10-year-old girl during Dussehra celebrations in Bhopal.

Sources from the police department said the firearm belongs to a senior retired police officer and the firing took place in the open air.

The victim, Riya Rajak, daughter of Sunil Rajak and a resident of Shashi Hi-Tech City, Rajharsh Colony, was injured on October 2 when a stray bullet struck her shoulder. She was rushed to a private hospital around noon but succumbed to her injuries at 4:55 p.m. Initially, doctors did not confirm a gunshot wound and a case under the relevant section was registered.

However, a postmortem conducted at Gandhi Medical College on October 3 revealed a .315 bore bullet in her body, confirming that the cause of death was a firearm injury. Subsequently, an FIR was filed against an unknown person.

Investigations by a special police team revealed that the bullet was fired during Dussehra puja from an open area roughly one kilometer away from where Riya was hit. Authorities have stated that further action will be taken based on the FSL report, as the investigation continues to determine the person responsible for this incident.

MPHRC seeks report

Taking note of the child’s death in celebratory firing, the Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission member Avadhesh Pratap Singh has asked the Bhopal Police Commissioner to submit a detailed investigation report within two weeks.