President’s Bodyguard jawan shot during Diwali dispute in UP’s Baghpat, police hunt for accused

New Delhi: An Army jawan serving with the President’s Bodyguard at Rashtrapati Bhavan was shot in the head during a confrontation in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district on Sunday, Diwali night. Saurabh Tomar, who was visiting his native village on leave, has undergone surgery in Meerut and is now reported to be stable.

The incident occurred in Gopalpur Khadana village, within Ramala police station limits, while Tomar was celebrating with his brothers, Vineet and Mintu. The altercation unfolded late on Sunday, shortly before police received information about the violence.

An argument began over firecrackers outside their home and escalated when two villagers, Dheeraj and Monu, also known as Praveen, confronted the family, NDTV reported.

Dheeraj allegedly fired a countrymade pistol during the altercation, according to the family’s complaint. Police said the bullet struck a wall before ricocheting into Tomar’s head, while Vineet suffered a head injury after allegedly being hit with a stick.

Tomar’s father, Janakraj Singh Tomar, has alleged that an earlier dispute existed between the families. Local accounts suggest the two sides had known each other and fallen out around two months earlier, but investigators have not established whether this alleged rivalry prompted the shooting.

Following the shooting, Tomar’s family rushed him to the community health centre in Baraut, from where he was referred to Meerut medical college for advanced treatment. The family subsequently shifted him to a private hospital in Meerut, where doctors performed surgery and removed the bullet lodged in his head, NDTV reported.

Earlier accounts described his condition as critical and said he required intensive care, but Baghpat Police issued an update on Wednesday stating that Tomar was stable. Police said Vineet’s condition was also stable and cautioned against misleading reports about the soldier’s health circulating on social media.

The Ramala police station registered an FIR against Dheeraj and Monu on the basis of Janakraj’s written complaint. The case includes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita concerning attempt to murder, causing hurt, intentional insult and criminal intimidation, the Times of India reported.

Tomar’s father alerted police through the emergency helpline following the shooting, prompting officers to reach the village and inspect the scene. Senior officials, including the Baraut circle officer and additional superintendent of police, visited the spot, while three police teams were constituted to trace the accused, who remained at large in the latest official update.

UP Tak reported on Wednesday that two people had been detained for questioning, without identifying them as the named suspects. Tomar’s brother told the outlet that the family wanted the attackers arrested and said police were providing them protection. He added that the family did not currently feel threatened, despite living near the accused.

Tomar serves with the president’s Bodyguard’s mounted wing, according to a relative quoted by the Times of India. Established in 1773, the President’s Bodyguard is the Indian Army’s most senior regiment and carries out ceremonial duties for the president.

The shooting occurred while Tomar was on holiday in his village and was unrelated to an official assignment at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Investigators have yet to publicly establish the motive or clarify the precise sequence of events leading to the gunfire.