A member of the President’s Bodyguard was shot in the head in his village in Uttar Pradesh on Diwali night. Saurabh Tomar, 26, had come home for Diwali. A row over bursting firecrackers turned into a shooting. He is in a hospital in Meerut after surgery to take the bullet out.
Updated: 11 November 2026, 10:45 IST
Quick Read
- Saurabh Tomar, 26, was shot in the head on Sunday 8 November in Gopalpur Khadana village, Baghpat, after a row over firecrackers.
- Reports differ on his condition: Baghpat Police say he is stable and out of danger, while PTI reports say he is critical in the ICU. Both are stated here, not settled.
- Police have filed an attempt-to-murder case against two neighbours, Dheeraj and Monu. Both are absconding, and three police teams are looking for them.
Saurabh Tomar serves in the President’s Bodyguard, the Indian Army’s oldest cavalry regiment, posted at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. He joined the force in 2021. On Sunday night he was at home in Gopalpur Khadana village, under Ramala police station in Baghpat district, bursting firecrackers with his brothers Vineet and Mintu.
Two neighbours, Dheeraj and Monu alias Praveen, objected to the firecrackers, according to the complaint. The argument grew worse. Dheeraj then allegedly fired a country-made pistol. The bullet first hit a wall, then ricocheted and struck Saurabh behind the ear. It lodged in his head. His brother Vineet was hit on the head with a stick during the same clash.
What happened after the firing
The family rushed both men to the community health centre in Baraut for first aid. Doctors there sent Saurabh to Meerut because his wound was serious. His family took him to a private hospital in Meerut, where doctors operated and took the bullet out of his head. That much is agreed in every report read today.
Baghpat Police say they got word of the firing at around 9:45 pm on Sunday 8 November. A fresh ANI report this morning, 11 November, puts the time the police station got the information at about 10 pm. The exact minute is not settled. This post uses “around 9:45 pm”, the time Baghpat Police gave in its own statement.
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The one fact readers must not get wrong: his condition
Here is where the reports split, and this post does not pick a side. Baghpat Police said in a statement on X that both injured men are in stable condition. An ANI report carried this morning says doctors at Subharti Hospital in Meerut have stated both are out of danger. The Times of India, reporting on 10 November, also said Saurabh was declared stable and out of danger after surgery.
But the PTI report carried late on 10 November says he is critical in the ICU. India TV’s report this morning, 11 November, also says he remains in the ICU with his condition reported as critical. The Daily Pioneer, also citing police, says he is in intensive care after surgery, with reports describing his condition as critical.
So the honest line is this: he had surgery to remove the bullet and is in hospital in Meerut. Police say he is stable. Other reports describe him as critical. Until a hospital bulletin or a fresh police update settles it, no single word describes his condition as fact.
The case against the two accused
Ramala police station has registered an FIR on the written complaint of Saurabh’s father, Janakraj. The case is on attempt-to-murder charges. The Times of India reports the charges are under sections 109(1) (attempt to murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (intentional insult) and 351(3) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police have formed three teams to find the two accused. Both men are absconding. No arrest had been reported by the morning of 11 November.
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Why this story is getting attention
The President’s Bodyguard is the senior-most regiment of the Indian Army. Its men guard the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan. A jawan of that unit being shot in his own village, on leave for Diwali, is why the story led the Times of India homepage this morning and was also carried by the Indian Express and ABP Live.
What happens next
What matters next: whether the two accused are caught, and what the hospital or police say next about Saurabh’s condition.
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FAQ
Who was shot in Baghpat?
Saurabh Tomar, 26, a member of the President’s Bodyguard posted at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He was home in Gopalpur Khadana village, Baghpat, for Diwali when he was shot in the head on Sunday 8 November.
Is he stable or critical?
Reports differ. Baghpat Police and an ANI report on 11 November say he is stable and out of danger after surgery in Meerut. PTI and India TV report him as critical in the ICU. This post states both, because no hospital bulletin has settled it.
Who has been charged?
Two neighbours, Dheeraj and Monu, face attempt-to-murder charges at Ramala police station on the complaint of Saurabh’s father, Janakraj. Both are absconding, and three police teams are searching for them.
Desk-original added context
Our own timeline, built from the reports read today: Sunday 8 November, around 9:45 pm — the firing in Gopalpur Khadana; the same night — first aid at Baraut, then referral to Meerut; Monday 9–10 November — surgery at a private hospital in Meerut to remove the bullet, FIR filed at Ramala police station; Tuesday 10 November — PTI reports him critical in the ICU, while Baghpat Police say stable; Wednesday 11 November — ANI reports doctors saying both men are out of danger, while India TV still reports him critical. Our own count: 2 accused, 3 police teams, 1 bullet, and 2 conflicting condition reports that remain unresolved as of this morning.
Sources
- The Daily Pioneer — President’s Bodyguard member shot in head during firecracker row in UP (10 Nov, 200 verified)
- India TV — President’s bodyguard jawan shot in head, critical (11 Nov, 200 verified)
- News9 — President’s bodyguard shot by neighbour during Diwali celebrations (10 Nov, 200 verified)
Sasanka Sekhar Pradhan is the founder of India Presents, an India-focused news site. He covers daily box-office trackers, India news, economy explainers, sports previews and festival guides — in simple English, so readers across India can follow fast-moving stories without jargon. His focus is what a story means for the reader: the number that matters, the source behind it, and what happens next. India Presents publishes daily, with day-trackers updated as new figures come in.
