Ludhiana: Stray bullets hit 8-year-old, AAP councillor’s car; probe on
Bullet removed from girl’s head, her condition stable now; husband of AAP councillor links the firing on the family’s car to past election-related conflicts
A stray bullet struck an eight-year-old girl’s head while she was watching others flying kites from her terrace in New Madhopuri on the occasion of Lohri on Monday. In a separate incident, a stray bullet hit the car of an Aam Aadmi Party councillor from Ward 75 in Kidwai Nagar.
The police believe that gunshots might have been fired in the air to mark Lohri but the bullets hit the girl and the car. The police scanned some houses in nearby localities and are also scanning CCTVs.
The girl, identified as Aashiana, was rushed to a nearby clinic by her parents where doctors removed the bullet. She was later referred to the civil hospital. Her condition is reported to be stable.
The incident occurred on Monday afternoon while Aashiana and her mother were on their terrace enjoying the festive activities. The girl’s mother noticed her bleeding after she complained of something hitting her head. Following medical treatment, Aashiana was discharged from the hospital.
The Basti Jodhewal police initiated an investigation but could not find any immediate leads. They inspected nearby rooftops where youngsters were flying kites and playing loud music but found no evidence of gunfire.
Assistant commissioner of police (ACP, East) Devinder Chaudhary said, “We are tracing the source of the stray bullet and reviewing records of licenced firearms in the area. A thorough investigation is underway.”
In a similar incident, a stray bullet struck the rear windshield of the car belonging to Ward 75 councillor Simranpreet Kaur of Aam Aadmi Party. Gurpreet Singh Raju Baba, husband of the councillor, stated that the car was parked outside his residence in Kidwai Nagar.
Raju Baba suspected the incident might be linked to past conflicts in the area, which has a history of violence during elections. “Initially, I thought it was a stone, but closer inspection revealed a bullet lodged in the glass,” he said.
The division number 2 police have launched an investigation and are reviewing CCTV footage from the area to identify suspects. SHO (Inspector) Gurjeet Singh stated, “We are conducting a detailed probe to determine the source of the bullet.”
Stray bullet incidents are already a tough nut to crack. A number of stray bullet cases are lying pending. A stray bullet that hit the car of district Congress president Sanjay Talwar on October 12, 2024 is still a mystery. The district has seen a number of such incidents in the past which have been unsolved.
