Warnings and guidelines issued by the police against celebratory firing seem to have fallen on deaf ears as another person fell victim to the menace in a village near Sardhana town of Meerut on Sunday night.
Ravi Kumar, a BA Part 2 student in Saroorpur Degree College, Sardhana, died after he was hit by a bullet which ricocheted off a tin shed during celebratory firing in a marriage party at village Chur, police said.
Kumar had visited the village along with his friends to attend the wedding, they added.
Police have sent the body for post-mortem examination and registered a case against the person who reportedly fired from his gun during the celebrations.
Read: Photographer killed, 3 injured in western UP celebratory firing
“A case has been registered on the basis of a complaint by Kumar’s father Brijveer, who is a farmer, and the accused would be arrested soon,” said Rajesh Verma, SHO, Sardhana police station.
According to the complaint, the accused started firing in the air when villagers were enjoying the celebrations. A bullet pierced Ravi’s chest after getting deflected from a tin shed on the roof top.
{{/usCountry}}According to the complaint, the accused started firing in the air when villagers were enjoying the celebrations. A bullet pierced Ravi’s chest after getting deflected from a tin shed on the roof top.
{{/usCountry}}Villagers immediately took Kumar to a private nursing home in Meerut where doctors declared him dead. They took him to another hospital but doctors confirmed his death. The hospital staff reported the matter to police.
At least four people have been killed and a few injured in celebratory firing incidents in western Uttar Pradesh in the last six months.
In one incident, an eight-year-old boy had died in celebratory firing by supporters of a Samajwadi Party leader at Kairana town of district Shamli.
Police had earlier directed local SHOs to keep a close watch on celebratory firing and take action against those involved in it.
Read: SP workers’ celebratory firing kills 11-yr-old in UP