Agar Malwa, Oct 20 (PTI) A 13-year-old boy died under mysterious conditions in Madhya Pradesh's Agar Malwa district, with his family suspecting he was hit by a bullet fired by poachers.
The incident took place on Saturday evening in Ghurasia village, around 12 kilometres from the district headquarters, his kin and police officials said.
Ravi Suryavanshi suddenly collapsed and started bleeding from the head, though his family at the time thought he sustained the injury after tripping and falling, officials said. He was returning home after tying cattle in the shed, they added.
"Ravi was hit by a bullet in the head. Family members heard a sound similar to that of a firecracker at that moment. The critically injured boy was first taken to a hospital in Agar, then referred to Ujjain, and later to a hospital in Indore, where he died during treatment on Sunday," his maternal uncle Rahul Suryavanshi told reporters.
Ravi's post-mortem was conducted on Monday, he said, adding the Class 8 student at a private school in Agar had come home to celebrate Diwali.
Ravi's brother Kanhaiya and other villagers alleged outsiders frequented the nearby forest areas to hunt rabbits, boars, and nilgai.
Several complaints about this had been made to police and administration in the past, they said.
Kin and villagers alleged Ravi died after being hit by a bullet fired by one of the poachers.
City Superintendent of Police (CSP) Motilal Kushwaha told PTI that, prima facie, Ravi died of a gunshot injury.
"However, we are awaiting the detailed post-mortem report. We are investigating the incident from all angles, including the family's suspicion of poachers being involved," Kushwaha said. PTI COR HWP LAL BNM