Two held after woman fatally shot during temple ceremony in Shimla

Protests erupt in Rohru over celebratory firing and administrative apathy as victim’s body is initially loaded into sand-filled truck.

A 26-year-old mother of two was fatally shot during a temple ceremony in the Rohru sub-division of Shimla district on Sunday evening, police said.

Ritika, 26, a resident of Andhra village and mother of two, was killed during a temple ceremony in Rohru sub division of Shimla district on Sunday evening. (HT file photo)

The victim, identified as Ritika of Andhra village, was killed on the spot when a “gun salute” ritual went wrong during the pran pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of deity Shalu Maharaj at the temple.

Shimla senior superintendent of police Gaurav Singh said that two men, Rajat Sohta, 28, and Amit, alias Rohit Bhapta, 32, had been arrested in connection with the shooting. The weapon has also been seized, he said, adding that a case has been registered under Section 103 (1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act.

The tragedy occurred during the ‘Bhai-Bhai Milan’ ritual, which marked the meeting of two deities Kupri Melti and Kulgaon as devotees danced around the newly built ₹5-crore temple.

Following the incident, the suspects initially fled the scene, prompting a police search.

The incident has reignited a debate over the state’s failure to enforce a 2011 Himachal Pradesh high court ban on celebratory firing, despite similar fatalities in Mandi in 2018 and injuries in Kotkhai in 2022.

Administrative insensitivity alleged

Local residents, most of them women, protested outside Rohru hospital on Monday, alleging a total collapse of administration. Villagers claimed they were denied an ambulance and that officials attempted to transport Ritika’s body in a pickup truck filled with sand. An ambulance was provided only after a heated confrontation with the sub divisional magistrate and hospital staff.

Protesters are now demanding accountability for the lack of security and medical arrangements at the event.

Political row, procedural gaps

The incident has triggered a political standoff, with state BJP chief spokesperson Rakesh Jamwal accusing the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government of failing to maintain law and order. Jamwal labelled the attempt to transport the body in a sand truck an act that “shamed humanity.”

He termed the event “not just an accident but a reflection of an ineffective administration,” arguing that the fear of the law has vanished if weapons are brandished in front of hundreds. While the administration has issued an appeal for the public to stop displaying weapons at religious events, it is still unclear if the temple committee had permits for the gathering and if the confiscated weapon was licensed.