Event organiser to be held responsible too for mishap: HC

Organisers of events like weddings, where celebratory firing takes place, would also be held responsible for any mishap that may occur due to the discharge of firearms, the Delhi high court has said. Justice Vibhu Bakhru said the person organising the event has to ensure that his or her guests do not discharge firearms and ought to inform the police if celebratory firing takes place.

The court said that if the government has not formulated guidelines on the issue, then till such norms come, “we need to fix responsibility on the person who organised the event”.

“Something should be done by the person organising the event. If you are conducting a ceremony where celebratory firing takes place, you will be held responsible...,” the court said.

It was hearing a plea moved by the father of a teenage girl, who died as a result of celebratory firing during a wedding near her house in April 2016. He has sought ` 50 lakh compensation from the groom’s family for the death of his daughter.

An equal amount of compensation has been sought by him jointly from the Centre, Delhi government and the police. The groom and his family have claimed that they were unaware of any celebratory firing by the guests in the wedding procession and that they had no control over the use of firearms by others. The court did not accept the contention.

“You ( groom and his father) held the event and celebratory firing took place there. These two facts are sufficient to hold you also responsible,” the court said.

It also asked the Centre, Delhi government and the police to examine the issue of who would be responsible for compensation in such incidents and listed the matter for hearing on January 16, 2019.