Wedding horror: Groom booked after firing, clash leaves 2 dead in Ludhiana; 6 arrested

A clash and subsequent firing at a wedding between two groups left two dead and one injured in Ludhiana late Saturday night. The police have arrested six persons in the case.

Sources said the wedding in question was that of contractor Varinder Kapoor, and both groups — that of Ankur and Shubham Mota — had been invited by him.

The sources added that Ankur’s group had already reached the venue — Bath Castle Palace on Pakhowal road — when Shubham Mota’s group arrived and the duo came face to face with each other.

An argument ensued over a minor issue, which escalated into a scuffle within minutes. Hosiery businessman JK Dawar from Ankur's group got injured in the melee. As firing followed, two persons were killed and there was a stampede at the venue.

The deceased have been identified as groom’s friend Vasu Chopra, and his relative Neetu Chhabra.

On receiving information, the police rushed to the wedding venue, but the shooters had fled by then. Dawar was admitted to the DMC Hospital.

A cross-FIR was registered was against both parties. Those booked were Ankur, Jasvir, Rubal Pradhan, JK Dawar, Shubham Mota, Yuvraj Singh, besides their unidentified aides. Meanwhile, groom Varinder was also booked for inviting notorious people to his wedding.

The Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana, Swapan Sharma, said preliminary investigation had revealed that the incident resulted from a clash between two youngsters over a minor dispute. He said contrary to misleading claims circulating on social media, it was not a case of gang war. He said those involved in the clash had been booked under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and a total of six persons had been rounded up.

Additionally, the groom has been booked. An FIR has also been registered against the management of the marriage palace for violating security guidelines and norms issued by the administration.

The Police Commissioner stated that some of the youths involved had a history of involvement in scuffles and quarrels. In this instance, he said, the accused were under the influence of alcohol.

"The remaining accused will also be nabbed soon. If licensed weapons were used by the accused, their licences will be cancelled and if there the arms were unlicensed, they will be seized," he added.