Manama: Security authorities in Saudi Arabia have arrested two grooms on their wedding night, following the death of a five-year-old girl in a house next to the wedding halls.
As the weddings were being celebrated in the neighbouring halls, one of the guests fired bullets in the air to mark his jubilation.
However, one stray bullet hit a girl playing in the courtyard of a nearby house and killed her.
The police who were called to investigate the incident decided to arrest the grooms until the real culprit is identified.
“The security authorities arrested my son Mohammad as he was getting ready to take his bride home in the Hawiya area,” his father said.
“When we asked about the reasons for the arrest, they told us that a young girl had been killed by a stray bullet and that the police needed to elucidate her death,” he said, quoted by Saudi news site Sabq on Monday.
The father said he did not know who fired the bullet, but insisted that it was not by one of their guests.
“My son has been held for nine days now, and he never had the chance to enjoy his wedding. He was taken to the police station and he is still there,” he said.
Another groom was also arrested from a different wedding hall close to the area where the girl, Shumookh, 5, was killed, the father added.
“I request the authorities to free my son who is totally innocent and who was celebrating his wedding,” he said.
Under Saudi regulations that outlaw the dangerous celebratory gunfire, the groom can be arrested in case guests start shooting in the air. The rules are part of a drive by the Saudi authorities to put an end to the deep-rooted tradition of firing wildly into the air to celebrate a happy occasion.
The culturally encouraged and widespread practice has often resulted in accidental deaths and Saudi Arabia said that it wanted an end to the tragedies by banning the habit.
All governorates, districts as well as relevant security and investigation agencies have been asked to apply the rules against anyone who fires during special occasions and wedding ceremonies.
The authorities have assigned policemen to monitor palaces, wedding halls and relaxation areas to ensure full compliance with the law amid warnings that whoever breaks the law will be severely punished.
The decision for the zero-tolerance policy was made following a noticeable increase in the incidence of fatal and serious injuries to innocent people by stray bullets during public celebrations.
The celebratory gunfire is a violation of public order, Saudi officials said in their stern warning in October 2012.
Celebratory gunfire is common in the Middle East, but it is also a cultural feature in South Asia and South America.
Last month, an Indian groom, 28-year-old Amit Rastogi, was killed by a stray bullet apparently fired by celebrating members of his wedding party in Uttar Pradesh.
