A 26-year-old soldier serving with the prestigious President’s Bodyguard (PBG) is fighting for his life in critical condition after being shot in the head during a violent altercation over bursting firecrackers on Diwali night in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district.
The injured soldier, identified as Saurabh Tomar, had returned to his native village on leave to celebrate the festival with his family when a verbal dispute with two neighbors escalated into open gunfire.
Diwali Argument Escalates into Gunfire
The incident unfolded outside Tomar’s residence while he was bursting firecrackers alongside his brothers, Vineet and Mintu. An argument broke out between Tomar’s family and two fellow villagers, identified as Dheeraj and his brother Monu (alias Praveen).
As tensions escalated, Dheeraj allegedly pulled out an unlicensed country-made pistol and opened fire. A bullet ricocheted off a wall and struck Tomar in the head behind his ear, causing him to collapse instantly.
Monu allegedly joined the scuffle with wooden sticks, attacking Tomar’s brother Vineet before fleeing the scene alongside Dheeraj as neighbors assembled.
Medical Condition & Police Manhunt
Tomar, who joined the Indian Army in 2021 and is deployed at Rashtrapati Bhavan as part of the elite cavalry unit, was rushed to a medical facility before being transferred for emergency neurosurgery.
Surgeons at a private hospital in Meerut successfully extracted the bullet from Tomar’s skull. He remains under critical observation in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Following a formal complaint lodged by the soldier’s father, Janak Raj, Baghpat Police registered an FIR against Dheeraj and Monu. Multiple police teams under the direction of the Circle Officer (Baraut) and Additional Superintendent of Police have launched raids across the district to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
