A tragic turn of events in Bhopal has seen a festive celebration end in a fatal assault, leading to a major police investigation and public outrage. A 20-year-old youth, critically injured during a violent dispute over bursting crackers on New Year's Day, succumbed to his injuries after a four-day battle for life. Following his death, the police have escalated the charges against the accused to murder.
From Celebration to Tragedy: The Sequence of Events
The incident unfolded on January 1 in the Ambedkar Nagar Multi area of Kamla Nagar. The deceased, identified as Jatin Pathak, a 20-year-old resident working a private job, was with his friends, including Sumit Raut, warming themselves near a bonfire after New Year celebrations. Simultaneously, a group including Prakash, an army man named Amit—who was in Bhopal for boat training—and their associates Sunil Kumar, Manish, and Rahul, were celebrating a birthday party on the first floor. The conflict began when this group started bursting crackers and throwing them downwards from their balcony.
When Jatin and his friends objected to this, a heated argument broke out. The situation quickly escalated from a war of words to physical violence. Allegedly, Prakash and his group armed themselves with sticks, came downstairs, and launched a brutal attack on Jatin and his companions. In the sudden and vicious assault, Jatin was struck on the head with a stick. The blow was so severe that he fell unconscious on the spot, bleeding profusely. His friends managed to escape the scene.
Viral Video and Police Action
A video capturing the horrifying assault soon went viral on social media platforms. The footage showed the accused men wielding sticks while a critically injured Jatin lay on the ground, writhing in pain and bleeding heavily. Shockingly, the assailants continued to beat him despite his grave condition. Based on evidence and the viral video, the police acted swiftly and arrested Prakash, Amit, Manish, Sunil Kumar, and Rahul.
Initially, the charges were related to the assault. However, the case took a grim turn when Jatin Pathak passed away on Monday morning after four days of intensive treatment. His death prompted the police to enhance the charges against all the arrested accused to murder. All of them have been sent to jail.
Public Outcry and Police Clarification
The tragedy sparked significant public anger and grief. As the ambulance carrying Jatin's body headed towards the Bhadbhada crematorium for his last rites, his family members, relatives, and local residents staged a road blockade at a crossing in Kamla Nagar. The protesters raised allegations of police bias, claiming that Prakash's wife, who is a police employee, was shielding him. They demanded that she also be named as an accused in the case.
In response, the police issued a clarification, stating that Prakash's wife was on official duty at the time of the incident and was not present at the scene. The investigation continues as the community mourns the loss of a young life cut short by senseless violence.
