Last Updated:January 31, 2026, 14:53 IST
The daughter of daily wage worker was playing with her brothers when a stray bullet pierced her skull. What followed was a four-and-a-half-hour battle to save the child
No one heard a gunshot. No one saw a shooter. Yet a bullet found its way into the head of a three-year-old girl playing on the rooftop of her home in Lucknow and stayed there, moving ominously inside her skull, threatening her life with every passing hour.
The mystery bullet, whose origin remains unknown even weeks later, struck little Lakshmi on the evening of December 17 in Bastouli village under the Ghazipur police station area. What initially appeared to be a routine head injury soon turned into a medical and investigative puzzle, culminating in a nearly five-hour-long high-risk surgery at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) that ultimately saved the child’s life.
Lakshmi, daughter of daily wage worker Ramesh, was playing under a tin shed on the roof of her house along with her two brothers—Saubhagya (8) and Himansh (7). Suddenly, a loud explosive sound pierced the air. Moments later, blood began gushing from the toddler’s head. The family rushed upstairs to find the child crying in pain and blood splattered on the rooftop.
Assuming it to be an accidental injury while playing, the family took her to a nearby private hospital, Meghna Hospital, where doctors stitched the wound and sent her home. But as night fell, Lakshmi’s condition deteriorated rapidly. She became unconscious, and her parents sensed something was terribly wrong.
Later that night, the family rushed her to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where a CT scan revealed a shocking truth: a bullet was lodged deep inside the child’s head. With no beds available, she was immediately referred to the Trauma Centre at KGMU.
By the time Lakshmi reached KGMU’s Trauma Centre on the evening of December 17, her condition was critical. She had lost a significant amount of blood and was barely responsive. A fresh CT scan confirmed not just the presence of a bullet, but something even more alarming — the bullet was mobile, shifting its position inside the brain.
“This was one of the most challenging cases we have handled," said Dr Ankur Bajaj from KGMU’s department of neurosurgery. “The bullet was not fixed at one place. Its position kept changing, making surgery extremely risky. Any sudden movement could have damaged vital brain structures."
As Lakshmi’s condition worsened by the hour, a team of experts was quickly assembled under the leadership of Professor Dr BK Ojha, head of the neurosurgery department. The team included five senior neurosurgeons, top anaesthetists, paediatric specialists and critical care experts.
To prevent the bullet from moving further and causing irreversible damage, doctors first inserted nine specialised needles into precise locations in the child’s head to stabilise the projectile—a rare and highly technical manoeuvre. Only after immobilising the bullet did the surgical team proceed with extraction.
The operation lasted nearly four-and-a-half hours. Every minute was fraught with danger. Any slip could have resulted in paralysis, brain damage, or death. But in the early hours of the morning, the surgical team successfully removed the bullet.
Lakshmi was then kept in the ICU for nearly a week under constant observation. Over the next 40 days, her condition steadily improved. Doctors report that she is now conscious, responding well, and showing no major neurological deficits. She is expected to be discharged within the next two days.
“What makes this case even more remarkable is that such a complex surgery was completed at a cost of less than Rs 40,000," Dr Bajaj said. “The child comes from a very poor background. With support from NGOs and the public healthcare system, we ensured that financial constraints did not stand in the way of treatment," he added.
While doctors fought to save Lakshmi’s life, police were left grappling with an unanswered question: where did the bullet come from?
Investigators who inspected the rooftop found a bullet mark on the tin shed, indicating that the projectile had pierced through the metal before striking the child—a factor doctors believe reduced its force and ultimately saved her life. However, police have found no licensed firearms in the family or neighbouring houses. No celebratory firing, no visible shooter, no clear trajectory.
“This is a baffling case," a police official said. “We are investigating all possible angles, including stray firing from a distance. So far, nothing conclusive has emerged."
Lakshmi’s father Ramesh has lodged an FIR at Ghazipur police station, demanding answers. “We still don’t know who fired the bullet or why," he said. “All we know is that my daughter is alive because of the doctors."
For now, the bullet has been removed, the child is recovering, and the immediate danger has passed. But the mystery of how a deadly projectile descended from nowhere onto a child at play continues to haunt both the family and the investigators.
Handpicked stories, in your inbox
News lucknow-news No Gunshot, No Shooter: How Doctors Saved A 3-Year-Old With A Moving Bullet In Her Brain
