An 18-year-old bride was shot at point-blank range by a “spurned admirer” during her own wedding ceremony.
The horror unfolded as Aarti Kumari and her groom stood on stage for the traditional garland exchange.
A woman, believed to be Aarti’s sister, was carrying out the ritual when a handgun was suddenly raised from within the crowd and aimed at the bride.
READ MORE: Idiot driver gets Land Rover stuck in river after they refuse to use bridge
The gunman fired at close range before fleeing, as shock and fury rippled through the guests – many of them children.
Aarti was left slumped on the stage while the other woman desperately tried to help her.
The shooting took place in Chausa, in India’s Bihar state, on Tuesday (24 Feb), as reported by Need To Know.
She was rushed to a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound to the stomach, according to local media.
After receiving first aid, she was transferred to a trauma centre in Varanasi, where she is reportedly in a stable condition.
The suspect has been identified as Deenbandhu, a young man from Aarti’s neighbourhood.
He was said to have been wearing a mask at the time of the attack but was identified by the bride while she was being taken to hospital.
Her parents described him as an admirer whose feelings were not returned.
One told local media: “He loved our daughter, but she did not reciprocate. We never considered their marriage.”
However, some guests claimed the pair had been “lovers” for two years before the wedding.
An unnamed relative of the groom said: “If we had known about any affair or lover, we would never have come here. That bullet could have hit the groom as well.”
The groom’s family have since called off the wedding.
Police later tracked down and arrested Deenbandhu, who remains in custody.
Officers are now investigating how he obtained the weapon and what drove him to carry out the shooting.
READ MORE: Influencer, 26, with young son dies of complications from boob job
