A manhunt has been launched after a groom was shot dead at his wedding in India.Newly-married Sunil Verma, 25, was shot in the chest during the celebrations on Sunday night. Video footage by the wedding photographer captured the moment the gun goes off.
The groom is seen sitting, surrounded by guests, at the ceremony in Rampur Village in the Lakhimpur Kheri district. A man dressed in orange is visible standing near the groom, holding a gun. He appears to adjust the top of the weapon, which then fires, shooting Mr Verma in the chest. The groom clutches his chest, as he looks around trying to see what happened, and then falls forward.
According to reports, a second shot was fired which missed the groom. Police in the region are now hunting for the man, who has been accused of murder. They said today the shooter, who was a close friend of the groom according to The Times of India, has absconded. Police said: “It appears that the groom was killed during the celebratory firing, but police are probing other angles too.” There have been many cases of celebratory firing gone wrong in the past, with numerous previous reports of people being hurt or killed during such “celebrations”.
The custom is technically illegal but still takes place at weddings in some Indian regions.