Rajkot: Drummer injured in ‘firing’ during marriage procession

RAJKOT: A 25-year-old drummer got injured during marriage processon of folk artists Mayabhai Ahir’s daughter in Bhavnagar on Tuesday night. However, it is not clear if the injury was caused by celebratory gun firing or during fire cracker bursting.
Though no formal complaint has been registered, the police has received an application from the hospital and based on that investigation has begun.
According to the police, Dashrath Rathod, a resident of Juna Vadaj in Ahmedabad was hired as one of the drummers for the marriage procession that had come to Borda village of Talaja taluka from Amreli.
While people were dancing around the drummers some were bursting firecrackers nearby. After a loud sound Rathod fell on the ground. He had blood oozing out of his ears.
He was rushed to nearby hospital. R A Vadher, police sub-inspector of Datha police station said “We have received report that the drummer was injured due to firing from a gun between 9.30pm and 10.30pm on Tuesday night. We are investigating the matter.”
When contacted, Ahir told TOI, “I was busy in marriage arrangements. This incident took place when the marriage procession was 500 meters away from the venue. I did not hear any gunshot sound. I am told that our relatives did not fire any arms. The drummer might have got hit by a fire cracker.”
Ahir is a known folk artist in Saurashtra. He had also organised a ‘Lok Dayro’ on Monday night which was attended by many ministers of state government, including home minister Pradeepsinh Jadeja.