An eight-year-old boy was shot in the forehead for refusing to buy cigarettes for a man in Bihar . The incident took place in Govindpur village under the Dharhara police station on Sunday afternoon. The boy was warming himself near a fire outside his home when, a local resident, approached and asked him to buy some cigarettes for him from a shop.
According to the account, when the child refused the same pretext as it was extremely cold, the man pulled out a pistol and shot the boy in his forehead before fleeing from the spot. The family members along with neighbours of the house rush towards the area and find him lying in blood. He is taken first to Dharhara Community Health Centre and later is referred to Munger Sadar Hospital. Since the injuries were very critical, he was later sent to a higher medical facility for advanced treatment. Dr. Anurag of Munger Sadar Hospital confirmed that the bullet was lodged near the boy’s nose and said that his condition is critical. Police, under the leadership of Sadar DSP Rajesh Kumar, recovered a bullet casing from the scene and revealed that the accused has a criminal history and is wanted in another case.
Efforts to arrest him are underway. Sharp criticism has engulfed the incident, with Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Jayprakash Yadav blaming the state government for rising lawlessness, even describing Bihar as being in the state of “jungle raj.” The case has outraged the gathering and called again to new heights for stronger law enforcement in the face of rising crime rates in the state. Meanwhile, the boy is still in critical care and further investigations are underway.