Boy killed in shootout

An exchange of fire between the Ghaziabad police and a gang of history-sheeters on Wednesday resulted in the death of a 10-year-old boy,and left a 60-year-old man critically injured.

According to Ghaziabad SSP Raghubir Lal,the boy was killed in an exchange of fire between a police party and Sarwar,a known criminal with a reward of Rs 5,000 on his head. “The incident occurred around 5 pm on Wednesday when a party,lead by Pilkhuwa Station Officer Sanjeev Bishnoi,was fired upon by the group of miscreants. Bishnoi,who was accompanied by constable Javed and driver Kamal Singh,fired in self-defence. A boy and an elderly man were caught in the crossfire,” the SSP claimed.

The man,identified as Babu Ram,has been admitted to Yashoda Hospital along with three policemen who were also injured in the incident.

The situation in the village was tense with the villagers demanding a probe into the incident. “I want an independent probe into the incident. Why did the policemen take on the history sheeters while civilians were around?” asked Farooq,a resident.

“The body of the child has been sent for a post-mortem examination to ascertain whose bullet had caused his death,” the SSP said.