NEWSPRISM , BIHAR NEWS BUREAU
GAYA – Tension flared in Bihar’s Gaya district when a 15-year-old Muslim boy was caught in the crossfire during a shootout between police and miscreants near the Nadraganj Shahi Masjid. The incident occurred in Nadraganj Mahalla as police, in pursuit of two miscreants, exchanged gunfire with the fleeing suspects, leaving Muhammad Raja injured.
According to the City Additional Superintendent of Police (Addl. SP), the police in civil dress were chasing two men suspected of nefarious activities. As the chase led them into Nadraganj, a shootout ensued. Eyewitnesses reported that amid the confusion, locals mistook the police for aggressors and began pelting stones, providing an opportunity for the miscreants to escape.
Raja, an innocent bystander, was near the mosque after prayers when he was caught in the line of fire. Eyewitnesses claim that the miscreants, sensing the police closing in, began shouting for help, further fuelling the confusion. In the ensuing commotion, Raja was hit by a bullet, sending shockwaves through the neighborhood.
Addl. SP P.N. Sahu confirmed that the police of Vishnupad police station in civil dress were in pursuit of two miscreants when the incident occurred. According to him, one suspect was apprehended, but the situation escalated when the other miscreant opened fire.
The wounded teenager was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he is said to be in stable condition. Authorities are probing the circumstances surrounding the shooting, with CCTV footage being scrutinized to piece together the sequence of events.
The Addl. SP asserted that the shot was fired by the miscreants, while locals alleged gunfire from both sides. However, it is unclear who fired the bullet that struck Raja. The conflicting accounts underline the confusion and tension that gripped the locality during the incident.
The incident shook the residents and alerted the authorities. Raja is now receiving medical treatment. With investigations underway, the community remains on edge, hoping for swift justice and an end to such senseless violence.