Indian Groom Killed At Wedding By Celebratory Gunshot

Pankaj Kishore Karotia, a 21-year-old Indian groom, was shot and killed by his uncle at his own wedding celebration, after a "revelry shot" went horribly wrong.

Karotia's bride had been waiting for him in the car as the wedding party drew to a close in Noida, India. His uncle, Rajkumar Karotia, drew a licensed pistol to shoot a celebratory shot in the air. As the pistol was loaded, a shot accidentally went out, hitting the groom in the head.

"He was eager and excited about the wedding and was attempting to fire in the air to mark the end of the wedding," said the groom's father, Kishore Karotia. "The bullet hit my son on his head."

The groom was taken to hospital but soon died. His uncle has been arrested for culpable murder.

'Revelry shots' had been banned in the area two years ago, but continue to be a problem.

"The relatives told us they were carrying arms to tackle robbers if they are attacked on the way -- that's the reasoning we get after most such cases," the Superintendent of Police told reporters.