In 17 December 2025, a three-year-old girl from the Indiranagar area of Lucknow sustained a penetrating head injury under unusual circumstances. According to reports, the child was playing with her siblings on the rooftop of her home when family members noticed that she suddenly became unwell and began crying. There was no reported gunshot sound, and no shooter or firearm was found, leading family members and medical staff to initially question the nature of her injury. The incident occurred in the evening of 16 December 2025.
Concerned by the child’s condition, her family rushed her to a nearby private hospital for evaluation. At that point, there was no obvious external wound indicating a gunshot, and the cause of her symptoms remained unclear.
Doctors performed a computed tomography (CT) scan approximately four to five hours after the incident. Imaging revealed the presence of a bullet lodged in the left frontal region of the child’s brain. Imaging revealed the presence of a bullet lodged in the left frontal region of the child’s brain. The frontal lobe plays a key role in voluntary movement, behaviour, and cognitive functions.
The finding confirmed that the child had sustained a gunshot-related injury, despite the absence of a witnessed shooting. Doctors stabilized the child and referred her to a tertiary care centre for advanced neurosurgical management.
After admission to King George’s Medical University, doctors closely monitored the child’s neurological status. Over the next several hours, her condition changed. She developed increasing drowsiness and weakness on the right side of her body, suggesting progression of brain injury.
As Lakshmi’s condition deteriorated rapidly, the hospital brought together a multidisciplinary medical team led by Professor Dr. B. K. Ojha, head of the neurosurgery department. The team comprised senior neurosurgeons, experienced anaesthetists, paediatric specialists, and critical care physicians.
Repeat CT imaging nearly 20 hours after the initial scan revealed that the bullet had moved deeper into the brain. A further CT angiography done around 25 hours after the incident showed continued migration of the bullet toward the posterior brain regions, including near the occipital area. This movement raised concern because a mobile foreign object inside the brain can damage blood vessels, cause bleeding, or disrupt critical neural pathways.
Bullet migration inside the brain is rare but medically significant, especially in children. Pediatric brain tissue is relatively soft, and changes in swelling, gravity, or cerebrospinal fluid pressure can cause foreign objects to shift position.
Doctors described this as an extremely rare and complex case, noting that the bullet’s continued movement significantly raised the threat of vascular injury, infection, seizures, and permanent neurological damage.
Dr. Ankur Bajaj, Department of Neurosurgery, KGMU said to News18,
This was one of the most challenging cases we have handled. The bullet was not fixed in one place. Its position kept changing, making surgery extremely risky. Any sudden movement could have damaged vital brain structures.
Dr. Ankur Bajaj, Department of Neurosurgery, KGMU
In this case, the migrating bullet increased the risk of vascular injury, infection, seizures, and permanent neurological damage. Given the child’s worsening symptoms and imaging findings, doctors determined that surgical removal was necessary.
The neurosurgical team planned the operation using detailed imaging to map the bullet’s path and nearby blood vessels. During surgery, they used intraoperative fluoroscopy to track the bullet’s position in real time as it continued to shift. This approach allowed surgeons to adapt their strategy as the bullet shifted.
The child underwent the procedure under general anesthesia with continuous monitoring. Surgeons successfully removed the bullet while minimizing additional trauma to surrounding brain tissue.
In his talk with News18 he also said,
What makes this case even more remarkable is that such a complex surgery was completed at a cost of less than Rs 40,000. 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.
Dr. Ankur Bajaj, Department of Neurosurgery, KGMU
Following surgery, doctors admitted the child to the pediatric intensive care unit for close observation. She developed a postoperative fever and transient neurological difficulties, which the team monitored closely. Over subsequent days, she showed significant improvement in alertness, ability to move her limbs, and functional strength.
Doctors continued monitoring for complications such as infection, seizures, or delayed neurological effects. Early clinical improvement suggested a positive recovery trajectory. The child’s progress was encouraging, with doctors noting marked gains in her ability to interact and move.
(Rh/SS/MSM)
