Youth dies due to ricocheted police bullet in Ahmedabad

A youth today succumbed to bullet injuries that he had sustained when the police fired shots to disperse the violent crowd in Shahpur area of Ahmedabad city on Sunday late evening. The bullet had ricocheted off and hit the young man who died at the VS Hospital here today morning. The youth has been identified as Asraf Khan (20) of Shahpur area.

“The bullet ricocheted off to hit him and he died of injuries sustained during the firing. Body has been handed over to family members,” said Shivanand Jha, Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad.

The situation had become tense in Shahpur following news of death of Khan. Additional forces have been brought in from Vadodara and more companies of rapid action force (RAF) have been deployed in the sensitive areas of the city.

Joint police commissioner Manoj Agarwal who was stationed in Shahpur said that situation was under control and normal. “Though the situation is normal we have deployed additional forces as a precautionary measure”, he added.  

Tension had griped Shahpur and adjoining minority dominated areas of city Sunday evening when people of minority community pelted stones at police team that was undertaking a combing operations ahead of Bakri Eid. More than dozen tear gas shells were fired by police following stone pelting by a group of people.

The situation has been tense since Saturday last when the police had intercepted a vehicle carrying calves in Shahpur area. According to police, the calves were being taken to slaughter houses ahead of Bakri Eid for sacrifice. In Gujarat killing of any cow progeny is banned by law and is a punishable offence.