An altercation over bursting firecrackers outside Empire Skyview Apartment on Science City Road in Ahmedabad escalated into an alleged armed attack on November 8, leaving several people injured and prompting two to three rounds of firing in the air, according to a complaint filed with Bodakdev police. Police have arrested seven people, including a minor, in connection with the incident.
The complaint was filed by society resident Jigar Patel. It states that a group of young men had been bursting firecrackers near a tea stall opposite the residential complex, with rockets and other fireworks allegedly landing near residents and their families. Residents objected to the activity and asked the group to stop, but the men allegedly continued.
The complaint identifies three of the youths as Pranshu, Arjun and Vishwas. According to the account recorded by police, the men allegedly responded that they would burst firecrackers at the location regardless of objections. The first dispute reportedly took place on November 6, when residents objected to fireworks being burst outside the society.
A second confrontation allegedly occurred on the night of November 8, when the same youths returned to the area while residents, office colleagues and acquaintances of the complainant were present. The complaint says a rocket again landed near society members. When residents repeated their objection, the youths allegedly called additional people to the spot.
The complaint alleges that a group of about 20 to 25 people arrived carrying sticks and wooden clubs and attacked society members after an argument. Between five and seven people were reportedly injured in the assault. The source report also says that several society members were among those hurt.
During the confrontation, Rakesh Patel, described in the complaint as a friend of Jigar Patel, allegedly fired two or three rounds into the air using his licensed pistol in what the complaint describes as an act of self-defence. The group then reportedly fled the spot. The account does not establish independently whether the firing complied with applicable law; that aspect forms part of the police investigation.
After receiving information, Bodakdev police reached the residential complex and shifted the injured people for medical treatment. Police registered a case and detained seven members of the group, including a minor, within a short time, according to the report. The identities of the arrested people and the sections applied were not detailed in the supplied material.
The incident has brought a dispute over the use of public space immediately outside a residential complex into a wider law-and-order case involving alleged group violence and firearm discharge. The police investigation is continuing, including examination of the attack, the injuries and the firing during the confrontation.
