A PIL for making stringent norms to curb the practice of ‘celebratory firing’ was moved on Monday in the Delhi High Court which sought the Centre and the AAP government’s response to it.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath issued a notice to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Delhi government and to the Delhi Police Commissioner’s office and has sought their replies by 17 August, the next date of hearing.
The court was of the view that “some guidelines and rules should be there.”
The plea has been moved by the father of a girl who died in April this year as a result of ‘celebratory firing’ that took place during a marriage procession.
The petitioner, Shyam Sunder Kausal, contended that the act of celebratory firing at weddings and other functions, is an “obnoxious practice” which “causes terror in the general public.
In his plea, he has sought directions to the MHA to “frame stringent policy/rules/guidelines to curb obnoxious practice of celebratory firing.”
He has claimed that the practice of celebratory firing is “not under check” and consequently the “numbers of deaths are increasing.”
Apart from that, the petition filed through advocate Akash Vajpai also sought directions to the MHA to evolve a mechanism to ensure arms licences are not misused “and if anyone was found misusing their license, their license should be cancelled.”
