Agra:
In western UP, the Saif Ali song 'Tamanchey pe Disco' has often been
taken quite literally. It happened again, this time with serious
consequences. On hearing the song at a wedding, a group of youngsters,
all apparently armed, took out their tamanchas as the chorus blared
"Tamanchey pe Disco.'' One of them then went ahead and even fired,
killing a guest at the spot.
The marriage ceremony was taking place at Kirawali block of Mainpuri district on Monday night. According to eyewitnesses, as soon as the DJ started playing the hit number, a few of the revelers whipped out their country-made pistols. "They started waving them in the air apparently to the beat of the words of the song," said Hridesh Singh who was present at the wedding.
The inevitable soon happened. As the song picked up momentum, the youths started firing in the air. A stray bullet hit one of the groom's friends, Atul Gupta, who collapsed on the spot. He was taken to a hospital in Saifai but died on the way.
The boy's father, Manoharlal Gupta, has filed an FIR against two of the bride's brothers. The police have been searching for the accused but were unable to locate them till reports last came in. Incidentally, the police deny that the case is one of death due to celebratory firing. Prahalad Singh, station officer, Kirawali police station, told TOI, "We have lodged an FIR under sections 109 and 302 against Amit and Rahul, the bride's brothers. However, we believe this is not a case of celebratory firing. The shooting happened because of an old rivalry."
The police flip-flop should come as no surprise. According to reports, sixty per cent of the total deaths in the country due to celebratory firing in the past one year have been reported from Uttar Pradesh. Almost all the cases were branded as "accidental deaths" and no arms licences were cancelled. Even though celebratory firing is banned in the state, trigger-happy wedding guests continue to be a growing menace.
Consider the numbers which are from police records. 720 persons were reported killed in UP due to alleged celebratory firing. Of these, 595 were men while 125 were women and children. Most of the women were watching the wedding procession from their balconies or rooftops when they were hit by the bullets.
The marriage ceremony was taking place at Kirawali block of Mainpuri district on Monday night. According to eyewitnesses, as soon as the DJ started playing the hit number, a few of the revelers whipped out their country-made pistols. "They started waving them in the air apparently to the beat of the words of the song," said Hridesh Singh who was present at the wedding.
The inevitable soon happened. As the song picked up momentum, the youths started firing in the air. A stray bullet hit one of the groom's friends, Atul Gupta, who collapsed on the spot. He was taken to a hospital in Saifai but died on the way.
The boy's father, Manoharlal Gupta, has filed an FIR against two of the bride's brothers. The police have been searching for the accused but were unable to locate them till reports last came in. Incidentally, the police deny that the case is one of death due to celebratory firing. Prahalad Singh, station officer, Kirawali police station, told TOI, "We have lodged an FIR under sections 109 and 302 against Amit and Rahul, the bride's brothers. However, we believe this is not a case of celebratory firing. The shooting happened because of an old rivalry."
The police flip-flop should come as no surprise. According to reports, sixty per cent of the total deaths in the country due to celebratory firing in the past one year have been reported from Uttar Pradesh. Almost all the cases were branded as "accidental deaths" and no arms licences were cancelled. Even though celebratory firing is banned in the state, trigger-happy wedding guests continue to be a growing menace.
Consider the numbers which are from police records. 720 persons were reported killed in UP due to alleged celebratory firing. Of these, 595 were men while 125 were women and children. Most of the women were watching the wedding procession from their balconies or rooftops when they were hit by the bullets.
0 comments:
Post a Comment