Meerut: A 24-year-old youth was brutally stabbed to death during a Ganesh Visarjan procession in the Sardhana area of Meerut last night.
The deceased, Bobby Gautam, worked as a salesman at a clothing showroom and was a resident of Mohalla Takiyakait in Sardhana.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred around 10pm near the Gang Canal, where the immersion procession had reached after covering a distance of about 3 kilometers from Ramlila Maidan.
A group of 10–12 armed men allegedly entered the procession, opened fire, and created panic. Amid the chaos, the assailants targeted Bobby, repeatedly stabbing him with a knife before fleeing the scene. Bobby’s friends rushed him to the hospital, but he was declared dead on arrival.
A video of the attack has surfaced on social media.
The violence is believed to be the result of a previous altercation earlier that day. Reports suggest Bobby had a dispute with a group of youths at a local gym, which was seemingly resolved after a compromise. However, tensions escalated again during the procession.
Aman Gupta, a close friend of Bobby and organiser of the Ganesh Visarjan Yatra, said that some intoxicated youths had joined the procession earlier and started creating trouble. Bobby reportedly confronted them and managed to drive them away. The same group allegedly returned later with reinforcements, leading to the fatal attack.
The accused are said to be from Begumabad village, located about one kilometer from the site of the incident. Police have identified Shekhar, son of Virendra, and Abhishek, son of Kallu, as suspects. A case has been registered, and both have been taken into custody.
The victim’s family has accused the police of negligence, stating that earlier complaints regarding the dispute were ignored. They claim that if proper action had been taken during the day, the tragedy could have been avoided.
CO Ashutosh Kumar confirmed the ongoing investigation and assured that all involved will be apprehended soon.
