‘Celebratory’ firing on wedding day kills groom in Delhi

HT Correspondent

HT Correspondent

According to the police, the person who allegedly opened fired is a distant relative of the bridegroom. (Representational Photo)

New Delhi

A 21-year-old bridegroom seated on a horse died in alleged celebratory firing in east Delhi’s Seemapuri on Tuesday night.

More than two bullets were fired, allegedly by a drunk man who was part of the wedding procession. One bullet hit the groom, Dipak Kumar, in the back of his head. A child, seated on the horse escaped unhurt.

Nupur Prasad, deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara), said the man who fired has been identified as Adil, a resident of Shaheed Nagar in east Delhi. “Adil was a guest. Our teams are conducting raids to arrest him. A case under the relevant section of Indian Penal Code has been registered against Adil,” she said.

But family members alleged Kumar was murdered. They suspected the role of a neighbour who was allegedly against Kumar’s marriage.

Around 8 pm, the wedding procession was leaving his home in Seemapuri when the incident happened. “Suddenly, someone from in the procession began firing. A bullet hit Dipak on his head. He fell off the horse and collapsed,” said a police officer. He was rushed to Guru Teg Bahadur hospital, where he died around 2 am on Wednesday.

Kumar worked for a private bus operators at Anand Vihar. He is survived by his mother Radha Devi, brother Shiva and his wife, and two married sisters Sonam and Meenakshi.

Police said the suspect was a relative of Sonam’s in-laws. The family suspected his role in Kumar's death.