Celebratory firing at weddings is a recipe for disaster, says SC

The Supreme Court, in a judgment, has highlighted the often disastrous consequences of “uncontrolled and unwarranted” celebratory firing at weddings, including the maiming or loss of innocent lives.

This is the second time in as many years the court has raised its voice against the culture of guntoting bravado.

In February 2023, the court had condemned the easy availability and possession of guns, mostly countrymade or unlicensed, in States like Uttar Pradesh as a feudal practice that cocks a snook at a very basic fundamental right — the right to life — guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Recently, the court again came across the case concerning the death of man who was fatally shot in the neck by a fellow guest at a wedding in 2016.

“The act of celebratory firing during marriage ceremonies is an unfortunate yet prevalent practice in our nation. The present case is a direct example of the disastrous consequences of such uncontrolled

A man was fatally shot in the neck by a fellow guest at a wedding in U.P.

and unwarranted celebratory firing,” a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Satish Chandra Sharma observed.

The shooter, Shahid Ali, was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder. The Allahabad High Court had dismissed his appeal, and he had approached the Supreme Court for reprieve.

Justice Sharma, who authored the judgment, found him guilty of culpable homicide, but not murder.

The top court concluded there had been no previous enmity between Ali and the man who died. Only a single bullet had been fired. The man had died instantly.

The court ordered Ali to be released forthwith. He had already served eight years of his sentence.

Last year, the court had similarly expressed its distress at the large number of cases concerning the possession and use of illegal guns in Uttar Pradesh.