A teenage boy lost his life after being hit by a stray bullet while three others got injured in the same incident. Among the victims is a 12-year-old girl who is now nursing the bullet wound. The incident involved a dispute which erupted in Kalika plot of Morbi town on Saturday evening. A report by the police states that the boy was hit by the bullet while playing on the streets. He was then rushed to the Rajkot hospital where he lost his life.

Up to this far, the police have not filed any official report regarding the FIR involvement in the incident. They have denied any claim linked to the clash and stated that the incident was only between two families which got involved in a disagreement.

A team of State Reserve Police was sent to the area and they contained the situation. It remained relatively peaceful the following day as claimed by the police.

Police further said that the groups engaged in firing and fired at least 16 rounds. “A boy was playing on the streets as is routine but unfortunately the stray bullet found him on his temple. He was rushed to the hospital for immediate medication but he later passed away from the bullet injury. Three other children survived with severe bullet injuries and they are receiving medication at the hospital as we speak,” the superintended of Morbi Police, Karanraj Vaghela, informed the media in a press briefing concerning the issue.

The victims have been identified, one of them being a 13-year-old boy named Vishal Bambhaniya who met his death that evening. “A girl 12 years of age who was on her way home from school also got hit by the bullet on the leg. She was taken to a Rajikot hospital,” Inspector Chaudhury said.

The other two who survived with the bullet injuries have been identified as Imran and Arif Mir who was rushed to one of the hospitals in Ahmedabad as clarified by Chaudhary.

Another person who got injured in the incident sustained injuries from the beatings by the mob who handed him over to the police. “He is our prime suspect though we have not been able to confirm his involvement and identity,” SP Vaghela said.

According to the report given by the police, the violence erupted after a disagreement between two groups. “Arif Mir’s brother named Mustak Mir lost his life in a similar incident last year. We suspect that I was the very groups that are involved again this time,” SP said.

Mustak Mir, a renowned history-sheeter, met his death in 2017 in a fire exchange at Kalika plot. Hitubha, also known as Hitendrasinh Zala and a resident of Sanala village in the neighborhood of Morbi town was identified as the killer and was brought to justice. However, the police mentioned that Zala is out on bail.  “The two groups have been living in fear since the brutal murder of Mustak the previous year and that resulted into the Saturday’s incident,” said Inspector Chaudhary who also mentioned that a tea of policemen has been sent to record the Arif’s complaints.