Court rules against celebratory firing of arms at weddings

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March 3, 2015 2:44 PM

The court also noted that there's need to tighten the procedure for grant of arms licence and also ensure that it is not misused.

Celebratory firing of arms during marriage processions has been regarded as a killer of innocent people by a Delhi court in India.

The court also noted that there's need to tighten the procedure for grant of arms licence and also ensure that it is not misused, Deccan Herald reports.

Judge Manoj Jain made the observation while handing down a 25-month jail term to 35-year-old Jasbir Chauhan, who fired in the air at his friend's wedding in Burari area, killing the groom's uncle.

"Firing with guns and pistols during marriage processions has become a sort of fashion. If this is happening in the capital city, it will be certainly in a larger proportion in rural or remote areas," the said.

"This is proving to be a killer for innocent fellow and even on-lookers. It's high time that government tightens the procedure for grant of arms-licence and also evolves a robust mechanism to ensure that these licences are not misused," he added.

Aside from the jail term, the court also imposed a fine of Rs three lakh on the convict, directing that it be paid to the victim's wife.

"Such an act of firing was not evidently intentional but he certainly had knowledge that he was holding a dangerous weapon. It was a loaded one. He was not firing in any deserted place. It was rather a marriage procession..." it said.

The court also observed that some guests, to show-off and unnecessarily demonstrate their jubilation, "take pride in firing in air" from their licensed fire-arms which they feel to be their prized possession.

"Little do they realise that such a thing is neither desirable nor legal and can also kill someone. This is what precisely happened in the case in hand," it said.

While awarding the punishment, the court said that though the act was not intentional, Jasbir had knowledge that it could kill someone.

According to the prosecution, on January 21, 2012, at the marriage procession of his friend, Jasbir had fired in celebration with the bullet hitting the groom's uncle, Ranbir, who died before reaching the hospital.

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