Fatal attraction: Pistol goes off as youth poses for Facebook 'likes'

NEW DELHI: The excitement of seeing a real pistol for the first time prompted 22-year-old Vijay to pose with the gun on Thursday night so that he could upload the photos on Facebook and get likes. Little did he know that the move would turn fatal. The pistol went off and the bullet hit Vijay in the chest, killing him almost instantly.

A man who was with the victim during the incident in Outer Delhi's Vijay Vihar is absconding. The police are trying to trace the owner of the unlicensed gun, sources said.

By the time cops reached the spot after being informed by a neighbour, Vijay was taken to hospital by his relatives. However, he was declared dead on arrival.


DCP (Rohini) Rajneesh Gupta said Chhotu (27), a neighbour, had been absconding. Prima facie, it appears that the trigger got pulled accidentally while they were checking the pistol and taking pictures of each other with it, he said. "The pistol was found at the scene of the crime. Vijay's phone has their selfies and other photos with the pistol, clicked moments before the incident," Gupta said.

The police said Vijay, the nephew of the owner of the house, had shifted to Delhi just a month ago from Rajasthan and was looking for a job. He and Chhotu used to spend a lot of time together, taking pictures of each other and uploading these on social media, a family member said.

On hearing the gunshot, Vijay's family members rushed to his room and saw him lying in a pool of blood. They said Chhotu, who was laughing and cracking jokes with Vijay just minutes ago, was nowhere to be found. A case has been registered based on initial inquiries.