UP: Man shot at after he coughs during Ludo game

Coughing in times of coronavirus is bound to invite fearful stares, but when a 25-year-old man in Greater Noida coughed during a ludo game, he was shot and injured by a fellow villager who accused him of "trying to spread the disease", according to police.

The incident occurred around 9 pm on Tuesday at a temple in Dayanagar village under Jarcha police station, where four people, including the man who received gunshot injuries, were playing the board game.

The injured man, Prashant Singh alias Pravesh, was hospitalised, and is now out of danger, while the accused, Jai Veer Singh alias Gullu (30), is yet to be arrested, the police said on Wednesday.

Both are residents of Dayanagar village and engaged in agriculture, according to the police.

"Prashant and three others were playing ludo at the village temple on Tuesday night when Gullu arrived there. An argument broke out between Prashant and Gullu when the former coughed.

"Gullu got angry thinking Prashant was doing it deliberately and asked if he wanted to infect him (with coronavirus) ," a police official told PTI.

"As the argument intensified, Gullu pulled out a pistol and shot at Prashant," he said.

An injured Prashant was rushed to a private hospital, the police said, adding that an FIR was registered against the accused and efforts were on to arrest him.

Coughing, fever and difficulty in breathing are some of the symptoms of the novel coronavirus, a highly contagious disease which has forced a nationwide lockdown since March 25.