Kotkapura, November 20: Celebratory gun fire claimed an 8-year-old boy’s life and injured another child at a ladies sangeet function in Kotkapura town of Punjab on Saturday night. Police have arrested a maternal uncle, Balwinder Singh, of the groom for the incident after he fired, what was the fifth celebratory shot at the function, from a 32 bore revolver.
This time, the bullet killed Vikramjit Singh, of Anand Nagar, Kotkapura, and injured another Class-3 student Kamreen Brar, son of head constable, Jagsir Singh. Vikranjit, a Class-2 student at DAV school in Kotkapura, was the only child of Kulwinder Singh, who works as a typist at the local court complex. Kulwinder was at the function on an invite from his friend, the groom Bikramjeet Singh. Kamreen is admitted at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital in Faridkot.
“Avtar Singh, a maternal uncle of the groom from Moga and three other people had already fired in the air from the stage. Another uncle, Bikram took to the stage, snatched the pistol from Avtar and fired. The bullet hit my son Vikram,” said Kulwinder, adding that he was rushed to Kotkapura civil hospital where he was declared brought dead. The second injured child, Kamreen, is critical and is a Class 3 student at Dashmesh School, Kotkapura.
Police have booked Balwinder Singh, Avtar Singh and other unidentified people under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and Sections 25/27/54/59 of the Arms Act at Kotkapura (city) police station. Avtar Singh owns the pistol, the police said.
Faridkot SSP Dr Nanak Singh said, “It is an unfortunate incident. Balwinder Singh has been arrested. We have issued strict instructions to marriage palaces to ensure such celebratory firing does not take place.”
