Groom Killed As Friend Fires Celebratory Shots at UP Wedding

Groom dies in celebratory firing at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh. How many more cases like this will we hear of?

Groom dies in celebratory firing at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh

(Photo: AP Screengrab)

Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim

On 1 May 2011, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court expressed concerns over the display and misuse of arms in public places and during celebrations. The HC had restrained the arms licence holders from using their weapons for celebratory firing.

We direct that henceforth the arm license holders of state are restrained from using arms in celebratory firing on the occasion of marriage, birthday, victory procession or similar gathering. Should anyone violates this order, he will be personally accountable and will be dealt with in accordance with law by this court.

Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court in May 2011

Six years later, little has changed on the ground.

Six years later, people continue to fire guns in a show of power and pomp.

Six years later, a groom in Rampur village of Lakhimpur Kheri district, Uttar Pradesh, has been killed in celebratory firing.

The horrific death of 25-year-old Sunil Verma in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh has been caught on camera. In the video, his close friend Ramchandra, in a bright orange shirt, can be seen removing the bullets from his pocket and loading the gun before firing two shots. The first one misses Sunil, but the second shot hits his chest. Sunil clutches his chest and collapses.

Ramchandra is on the run and the police have launched a manhunt to arrest him. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. The death of a groom’s father in Ujjain, the death of a bridegroom in Gorakhpur, the death of a guest at the hands of a sadhvi in Karnal, the death of a boy in Moradabad or the death of a pregnant dancer – all in incidents of celebratory firing, prove that the court’s words have fallen on deaf ears.

This is an important issue. The authorities should treat the petition as a representation and notify effective policy on it. The same should be done in three months.

Delhi High Court in September 2017, responding to a petition on celebratory firing

The outgoing Superintendent of Police of Katihar in Bihar was caught on camera firing several rounds into the air from his service pistol at his farewell ceremony. The video of the son of a constable in Kanpur firing gunshots at his sister’s wedding has gone viral.

If the police continue to break the law, what then of civilians who do? Unless we put an end to this menace, innocent lives will continue to be sacrificed in the name of culture and tradition.

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