Men who shot President's bodyguard on Diwali leave in UP were drunk, brother says

The brother of the soldier who was shot in the head on Diwali in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat district has said that their family was bursting firecrackers outside their house when two men, Dheeraj and Praveen, allegedly arrived there in an intoxicated state and started hurling abuses.Speaking to India Today's sister channel Aaj Tak, Vineet Tomar, brother of the injured soldier, Saurabh Tomar, said after his family members objected to the duo's behaviour, a verbal altercation between the two sides quickly escalated into a physical fight.He claimed that Dheeraj opened fire during the clash. The bullet hit Saurabh in the head, just behind his ear, Vineet said while recounting the incident.Saurabh, 26, who is posted as a jawan with the President's Bodyguard, was visiting his village on leave to celebrate Diwali.when the incident took place. He was shot in the head following a dispute over bursting firecrackers. Vineet said his brother was rushed to a community health centre, before being referred to a medical college in Meerut.The family subsequently took him to a private hospital in Meerut, where doctors operated to remove the bullet lodged in his head. As of Wednesday, Saurabh, who joined the Army in 2021, was admitted to the ICU and remained in critical condition.Speaking about the police investigation, Vineet said no arrests had been made so far. However, he expressed faith in the police and said the family hoped the accused would face strict action.According to news agency PTI, the shot fired by Dheeraj hit a wall before it ricocheted back to hit Saurabh in the head.He was bursting firecrackers outside his home along with Vineet and their other brother, Mintu, when the incident took place.Following the firing, the local SHO told PTI that an FIR had been registered against Dheeraj and Praveen on the basis of a complaint lodged by Saurabh's father. Police said efforts were underway to arrest them.The President's Bodyguard is the Indian Army's oldest and senior-most cavalry regiment and is based at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. - Ends(Based on inputs from Manudev, with additional inputs from PTI)