Groom killed in celebratory gunfire in Bihar

Patna: A groom was killed in celebratory gunfire during a wedding in Bihar moments after the exchange of vows.

The incident took place in Danapaur block of Patna, the capital city of Bihar, on Sunday night.

Satyendra Kumar was to wed Poonam Kumari and their marriage was scheduled to be solemnised on Sunday.

As per the itinerary, a wedding procession reached the house of the bride on the scheduled day and this was followed by the garland exchange ritual.

While the groom was walking towards the wedding venue after the garland exchange ritual, his elder brother whipped out a pistol and started firing in celebration.

Witnesses said the brother fired thrice but the gun got stuck. As he tried to clear the bullets, they fired one by one, hitting him as well as the groom. Both sustained seriously injuries in the incident and were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. The groom succumbed to his injuries on Monday afternoon while his brother is battling for his life.

“Who will marry my daughter now? Now everyone will call her doomed,” said Kumari’s father Bhuletan Rai, sobbing inconsolably.

The police have arrested the wounded brother for interrogation.

“It seems the bullets were fired from a close range,” a senior police official Nasim Ahmad said.

Patna’s senior superintendent of police Garima Malik voiced concerns over the incidents of celebratory gunfire in the state and asked police to be on alert to check such incidents. She said police would cancel the arms licence of those involved in such incidents.

Celebratory gunfire go on unchecked in Bihar despite the authorities putting a ban on them. It has claimed many lives during the wedding season over the years. According to a report, 15 people have been killed or wounded in celebratory gunfire in the past six months.