HC asks who to fine for celebratory firing

The Delhi high court has sought to know should a groom and his family be held liable to compensate those killed or injured in ‘celebratory firing’ by their guests at a wedding.

Celebratory gunfire wherein shots are fired in air during wedding processions are a common nuisance observed mainly in north India.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva has issued a notice to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Delhi government and commissioner of Delhi Police seeking information on their stand.

The court, which was hearing a plea raised by the father of a girl killed in celebratory firing during a marriage, also issued notice to the groom, at whose wedding the incident had occurred on April 16, 2016.

The father has sought Rs 50 lakh compensation from them. An equal amount of compensation has been sought by the victim’s father jointly from the two governments and the police.

The father, Shyam Sunder Kausal, has alleged in his plea that his daughter died due to the “carelessness and negligence” of the groom and his family in checking the activity of one of their guests who had fired his gun in the air, leading to the tragic incident.

On April 16, his 7-year-old girl daughter was hit by a bullet in the head during celebratory firing at a marriage procession passing by her house in outer Delhi’s Mongolpuri area. Four days after the incident, she succumbed to her.

She along with two younger sisters were watching the marriage procession from their balcony when the bullet hit her.