Fasting 13-year-old boy shot dead at friend’s birthday party in Lucknow
Lucknow (PTI):A 13-year-old boy was killed allegedly in firing during a birthday party in the Krishna Nagar area of Lucknow, police said on Tuesday.
The incident took place around 6.40 pm on Monday at an LDA Colony residence under the Krishna Nagar police station limits.
The victim, Unais Khan, had gone to attend a friend's birthday party at his house with three other minors.
During the celebration, Navneet Tripathi, the birthday boy aged 13, allegedly took out his father's licensed revolver from a car parked outside and accidentally fired it, the police said.
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The bullet hit Unais above his left eye, and he collapsed on the floor. He was rushed to Lokbandhu Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
His family alleged that Unais was shot by an adult and it was no accidental fire.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Lucknow South) Nipun Agarwal said the three minors present at the party have been taken into custody and are being questioned.
"On March 2, information was received at Krishna Nagar police station that a 13-year-old boy, Unais Khan, a resident of Transport Nagar, had died due to accidental firing while attending a birthday party with his friends. Based on a complaint filed by the deceased's family, a case is being registered and further legal action is being taken," Agarwal said.
The police said they had seized the firearm and were examining CCTV footage.
According to the local police, Tripathi was making videos with the firearm when it went off.
Unais, a class 7 student of Stella Maris School, was the captain of his school's football team, police said. He is survived by his mother, Sama Sehroz, and an elder brother.
His father, Zameer Khan, said his son had been observing roza and did not want to go to the party, but his friends insisted.
"We received a call that a bullet had been fired at the party," he said, breaking down.
He alleged that the shot was not accidental and claimed that his son had been shot in the middle of his forehead by an adult.
Sameer Khan, an uncle of Unais, told PTI Videos that the family had initially refused to send the boy to the party because he was fasting, but his friends assured them that he could break his fast there.
"Now this incident has happened. It is extremely wrong. What more we can say," he said.
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DJ Black Coffee's event in Goa cancelled after NOC revoked on Good Friday
Panaji (PTI): The Goa leg of Grammy-winning South African DJ Black Coffee's India tour was cancelled at the last minute on Friday evening after authorities revoked the event's No Objection Certificate (NOC), a move intended to honour the solemnity of Good Friday.
Officials on Saturday cited the need to respect local sentiments and the religious significance of the day as the primary reason for withdrawing the permission previously granted to host the "Sunset-to-Night" event.
The opposition Congress demanded a probe by the Economic Offences Cell of the state against the organisers.
The revocation of permission by the Communidade of Anjuna, in whose land the event was scheduled to be hosted, followed an objection by locals and the Congress, citing the solemn occasion of Good Friday and the upcoming Easter Sunday.
Local police officials confirmed that the organisers of "Sunset to Night" have cancelled the event, leaving many revellers disappointed.
Sebastian D'Souza, an attorney of Communidade of Anjuna, in a letter addressed to organisers, stated that the NOC granted to them on March 4, 2026, to host the musical event on April 3 in survey number 206/1 of Anjuna village has been unanimously revoked by the managing committee.
D'Souza stated that the date coincides with Holy Week, particularly Good Friday.
"This has been decided in the interest of residents of Anjuna, Vagator and Chapora," the letter reads.
The Comunidade of Anjuna is a traditional, collective land-holding institution in North Goa, part of the twelve comunidades of Bardez.
A huge crowd assembled outside the venue of the programme on Friday night as the word spread about the cancellation.
Several netizens posted reels on social media claiming they were informed about the cancellation at the last minute.
Earlier, the Congress had objected to hosting such an event on the sacred occasion of Good Friday, calling it "deeply insensitive and unacceptable."
"Your event, @Paradoxindia_, in Goa on the sacred occasion of Good Friday is deeply insensitive and unacceptable. @RealBlackCoffee , this is not just about music- it is about respecting faith. By going ahead with a techno show on a day of mourning for Christians, you have hurt religious sentiments not just in Goa, but across the world," Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Amit Patkar had written on X.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Patkar said that the state Congress would file a complaint with the Economic Offences Cell (EOC) against the organisers for allegedly selling tickets online without obtaining necessary permissions from authorities such as the Goa Pollution Control Board and the Fire and Emergency Services.
The event organisers could not be contacted immediately for their comment on the Congress leader's claim.
While at least 3,000 people had arrived in Goa to attend the event, the access road to the venue was not wide enough for Fire and Emergency Services vehicles to reach, Patkar claimed.
