A wedding ceremony turned into tragedy in the Etah district when a gunshot fired accidentally during a DJ dance killed an 11-year-old boy and his 17-year-old uncle, police said on Sunday.
The incident took place in Ubhai Asadnagar village under the Nayagaon police station area on Saturday night.
According to the police, the bullet first pierced the neck of the young victim, Sohail (11) before striking his uncle, Shahrukh (17), in the head. Both had come to attend the wedding of their maternal uncle’s son. The groom, Salman, was scheduled to set off in a wedding procession (baraat) on Sunday.
The family was celebrating the traditional bhaat ceremony on Saturday night. Guests were gathered inside the lawn while some youths, including Shahrukh and Sohail, were dancing to the DJ outside. At around 9 pm, suddenly a sound was heard. Both boys collapsed on the dance floor with blood splattering across the area.
Family members rushed the victims to the local Community Health Centre where doctors declared Sohail dead on arrival. Shahrukh, who was critically injured, was referred to Agra for advanced treatment, but he too succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
The police took the bodies of both victims into custody and sent for post-mortem examination. Three to four people have been detained for questioning in the case.
ASP Shwetabh Pandey said a gunshot was fired during the dance, but it is still being investigated who pulled the trigger and how the bullet was discharged.
Relatives said Shahrukh was a Class 11 student at a school in Satnapur Kathingara, while Sohail was an eighth-grade student from Nehru Nagar, Delhi. Sohail had returned home only a day before the incident and was the only son of his parents. He is survived by a nine-year-old sister, Joya.
Police officials have inspected the spot and are investigating the exact circumstances under which the gun was fired. The tragedy has cast a pall of sorrow over the wedding festivities, devastating both families.