A groom accidentally shot one of his wedding guests to death during a strange ceremonial tradition in India.
The footage, which is now viral online, starts with Manis Madheshia being handed a pistol in front of a crowd on his wedding day. He lifts the gun in the air, seemingly preparing to fire off but then drops his arm and accidentally hits a man in a white shirt.
"A person who's serving in the army, identified as Babu Lal Yadav, died after being shot during the celebratory firing by the groom — Manish Madheshia," Pratap Singh, police superintendent of the Sonbhadra Amrendra, Uttar Pradesh region told NDTV. "The pistol has also been seized and the probe is underway."
Sonbhadra Superintendent of Police Amrendra Pratap Singh identified the victim as Madheshia's 35-year-old friend, Yadav, who is seen falling to the ground as other guests are in shock.
Yadav was immediately rushed to the hospital but reportedly succumbed to his wounds upon arrival. Yadav was a member of the Indian army who had received special permission to travel across the country to attend his friend's wedding. Meanwhile, Madheshia has since been arrested and charged over Yadav's death on Wednesday. The authorities also seized the pistol, which was said to be gifted to the groom from Yadav. The victim's family has registered an FIR.
Singh said, "The incident took place during the marriage function organized in Ashirwad Vatika which falls under the police station Robertsganj. A person who's serving in the army was identified as Babulal Yadav died after being shot during the celebratory firing by the groom – Manish Madheshia. The pistol has also been seized and the probe is underway."
Celebratory firing at public gatherings, like weddings and shrines, even with licensed guns, is considered a criminal offense in India. Several wedding celebrations in northern India end tragically due to its tradition of celebratory gunfire. In 2019, a groom was reportedly killed by celebratory gunfire, and his brother was left fighting for his life in hospital after a friend misfired three bullets at his wedding. It happened just minutes after the groom, Satyendra Kumar, exchanged garlands with his bride, Bhuletan Rai, at a ceremony in the north-eastern city of Patna.
