First casualty of Bharat Bandh protest may have been victim of personal enmity

Rahul Pathak was standing on his balcony when a bullet struck him. He was rushed to a hospital but he was declared brought dead.

New Delhi: Rahul Pathak was neither a protester and nor was he part of security arrangement deputed to contain them. Yet, he became the first casualty of a nation-wide Bharat Bandh organised by Dalit groups on Monday against a Supreme Court order 'diluting' the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

His fault?

Rahul was reportedly standing on the balcony of his house in Madhya Pradesh's Morena at a time when there was utter chaos on the ground below. Protestors were raising slogans and holding banners, charging-up an already tense situation. In the middle of all the pandemonium, a bullet hit Rahul - a student. He was rushed to the hospital but was declared brought dead. While it is suspected that a stary bullet may have been fired during the protest and it is this that killed Rahul, his family on Tuesday alleged that a man called Ramu Gurjar intentionally targeted Rahul and shot him dead.

Rahul's family members have alleged that Gurjar had a personal score to settle with him and took aim from the ground - using the protests as his cover. They have said Gurjar and Rahul had had a long-standing enmity and it is this that culminated into a tragedy.

Local police officials have filed an FIR against Gurjar and have begun investing the matter.