Kanpur: A district court in Etawah has convicted a man for injuring a wedding guest in celebratory firing at a tilak ceremony in 2020, sentencing him to three-and-a-half years’ imprisonment and imposing a fine of Rs 15,000. The convict was also found guilty under the Arms Act for illegally possessing a country-made pistol.District and Sessions Judge convicted Umesh Yadav, a resident of Reujaan village under Vaidpura police station limits, and sentenced him to three years and six months’ imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 10,000 for attempting to murder the victim. He was also awarded two years’ simple imprisonment and fined Rs 5,000 under the Arms Act. The sentences will run as per the court’s directions.District govt advocate Shiv Kumar Shukla said the case was registered at Vaidpura police station on Feb 9, 2020, on the complaint of Nitesh Kumar, a resident of Meerkhpur Puthiya in Jaswantnagar.According to the prosecution, on Feb 8, 2020, Nitesh’s father, Shyam Singh, had attended the tilak ceremony of a relative’s daughter, Rashi alias Babli, at the residence of Ravi Kumar in Reujaan village.During the celebrations, Umesh Yadav allegedly fired a country-made pistol in the air. The bullet struck Shyam Singh in the buttock, leaving him seriously injured. He was rushed to the Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences (UPUMS), Saifai, for treatment.Following the investigation, police collected evidence and filed a chargesheet against the accused.After hearing the matter, the District and Sessions Judge on Wednesday held Umesh guilty under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita/Indian Penal Code (as applicable to the case) and the Arms Act, and imposed a total fine of Rs 15,000.Speaking to reporters outside the court, complainant Nitesh Kumar said he was satisfied with the verdict. He said that although several incidents of celebratory firing had occurred in the past, justice was rarely delivered. He expressed hope that the judgment would act as a deterrent and help prevent such incidents in future.
