Celebratory firing: 16-year-old Dalit boy dies of gunshot wound in UP

Pratapgarh: A 16-year-old Dalit boy has died of a gunshot wound he suffered during celebratory firing at a marriage function at a village here in Uttar Pradesh, a police official said on Sunday.

The incident took place on Friday and a case was registered at the Aaspur Devsara police station against the accused and he was arrested, Station House Officer (SHO) Santosh Singh said.

The celebratory firing took place during the haldi ceremony of Phoolchandra Dubey's daughter, whose marriage was scheduled for Saturday, he said.

Dubey's nephew Pintu, who had come from Mumbai to attend the marriage, fired from his licensed pistol, and Ajay Kumar, who was working for the tent company, was seriously injured, Singh said.

Kumar was taken to Prayagraj for treatment and he died of the injury on Saturday, the SHO said.

Pintu was booked under Indian Penal Code section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder)and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act on a complaint from the boy's father Suresh, the SHO said.

The pistol used in the crime has been seized, he said.