THREE PERSONS SHOT DEAD, FOUR INJURED DURING WEDDING CEREMONY AT BHOJPUR VILLAGE, ROAD BLOCKED

ARA (RNI) Three persons were killed while four other injured in an indiscriminate firing during a wedding ceremony at Laharapa village under Gadhani police station in the late evening on April 20, 2025. The incident is believed to be the outcome of an old rivalry in between two groups of villagers. Police recovered the bodies and brought them to the Ara Sadar Hospital for postmortem and admitted the injured to the Ara Sadar Hospital and a private nursing home at Ara. A named FIR has been lodged with the police under Gadhani police station in this regard. Police are investigating the matter and also conducting raids to arrest the miscreants. The police also have taken father and son of Laharapa village into custody for interrogation. 

The deceased were identified as Lavkush 23 son of Suresh Yadav, Rahul Kumar 23 son of Sanjay Singh and Appu Kumar 18 son of Sudarshan Singh of Laharapa village while the injured were identified as Pankaj Kumar 30 son of Bali Singh, Akshay Kumar 20 of Bhaluhi Dham under Narayanpur, Aryan Kumar and one other. Bhojpur SP Mister Raj along with other police officers rushed to the spot and started investigating the matter. Police force has been deployed in the area to maintain law and order. Tension prevails in and around the village following the incident. The wedding atmosphere turned into mourning.

Irate villagers blocked the Ara-Arwal and Gadhani-Agiaw main roads near Agiaw Mor with the body of the deceased in the morning on Monday. They burnt tyres on road and paralyzed movement of vehicles for about four hours. They raised slogans against the police administration, demanded compensation of Rs. 10 lakh to the family members of each deceased and immediate arrest of the miscreants. The blockade could be lifted after positive response of the police officials.

A marriage ceremony was to be solemnized at the house of Kamlesh Kushwaha at Laharapa village under Gadhani police station in Bhojpur district in the night on April 20, 2025. Meanwhile some youths on a vehicle had a tiff with local people. Within fraction of second, the youths started indiscriminate firing and shot at seven persons and escaped from the village. Lavkush Kumar 23 son of Suresh Yadav was killed on the spot while Rahul Kumar 23 son of Sanjay Singh and Appu Kumar 18 son of Sudarshan Singh of Laharapa village succumbed to their injuries during treatment. Four persons Pankaj Kumar 30 son of Bali Singh of Loharapa village, Akshay Kumar 20 of Bhaluhi Dham and two others were injured and were admitted to different hospitals at Ara. Former Mukhia’s son and BJP leader Bablu Singh and his aides have been accused of firing indiscriminately in which three persons were killed and four other injured. After the incident, the BJP leader and his supporters are absconding. Contractor Bablu Singh son of Ramesh Singh of Laharapa village had dispute with Lavkush and Rahul and on September 30, 2022, some miscreants had fired on Bablu Singh while taking on stroll in Friends Colony under Nawada policei station and the police had arrested Lavkush and Rahul and had sent them to jail but they later were bailed out and now Lavkush and Rahul were shot dead after a minor dispute started during the wedding ceremony.

Bablu Singh’s mother Prema Devi had been Mukhia of the panchayat. After completion of work under the scheme in Panchayat, some people accused the Mukhia of irregularities in the scheme and the dispute arose. 

Injured Pankaj said that Farmer advisor Kamlesh Singh’s daughter was getting married in the village and the wedding procession had come from Kaup village under Charpokhari police station. The wedding procession vehicles were parked on roadside. The ceremony of Dwar Pooja was taking place. Meanwhile, two people from Laharapa village Lavkush and Rahul had come to attend the wedding procession on a Thar Car. Due to the crowd, they asked for side and the baraatis also gave side but in the meantime the Thar Car dashed against the vehicle of the groom that flared up the situation and the people standing on the roadside started firing indiscriminately in which Lavkush and Rahul, the Thar riders were killed while five others including two children from the barat side the girl’s side were injured and were admitted to the Ara Sadar Hospital and a private nursing home where another youth Appu Kumar also succumbed to his injuries during treatment. 

Bhojpur SP Mister Raj said that an incident of firing between two parties has come to light during wedding ceremony at Laharapa village under Gadhabni police station in Bhojpur district in which two persons were killed and five injured. He said that a police team has been formed to investigate the matter and also to arrest the miscreants.