GORAKHPUR

December 11, 2016: An 11-year-old boy Shreyansh was killed in celebratory firing during the marriage function of his uncle Om Singh in Girdharjanj area of Gorakhpur. The bullet fired by a friend of the groom hit the boy in the head. The accused, who was heavily drunk, was caught by guests and handed over to the police. It was found during investigation that the man had fired the shot from an unlicensed rifle. Shreyansh’s father Sardesh Singh is a clerk in treasury department.

June 29, 2017: A man, Brijlal (65), was killed while two other guests suffered bullet injuries during celebratory firing by the groom’s friend at a marriage function in Vishnupur in Gorakhpur. Brijlal was rushed to the medical college where he was pronounced dead. Sumit Rai, 30, and Ajay Yadav, 28, sustained injuries. The accused, who was an SSB jawan posted at Indo-Nepal border, fled the spot. He was later arrested. As the fallout of the incident, the marriage could not be solemnised. April 21, 2017: The groom’s father and the bride’s uncle were injured in celebratory firing by a guest during the ‘tilak’ ceremony of one Ajay Yadav in Baghna under Khajni police station of Gorakhpur. Two persons, Shyam Sundar (50) and Geeta (30) were also injured and discharged after short treatment. The accused was an army jawan who used his licensed rifle to fire shots. He fled the spot but was later arrested by the police.