Wedding Celebration Turns Deadly in Hardoi Village
A joyous wedding celebration turned into a tragedy in Nevada Vijay village of Hardoi district when a DJ operator's father was shot dead following a dispute over playing music beyond permitted hours. The incident occurred late Thursday night within the Atarouli police station limits, sending shockwaves through the local community.
The Fatal Confrontation Over Music
According to the First Information Report lodged by Amit, son of the deceased Puttulal (45), the drama unfolded after the wedding program had officially concluded. Amit, who runs the "New Aashish DJ Floor" service, had been hired to perform at the wedding of Tikaram Raidas's daughter with groom Vikas from Jehata, Lucknow. He arrived at the venue with his colleagues Arun and Rinku.
The DJ system was properly shut down around 12 am in compliance with government norms regulating loud music. However, minutes later, the groom's brothers-in-law—Akash Gautam and his elder brother Akhilesh Gautam—approached the DJ platform while allegedly intoxicated and demanded that the music be restarted.
When Amit refused their request, citing legal restrictions, the situation quickly escalated. The Gautam brothers allegedly manhandled the DJ operator, prompting him to call his father Puttulal and elder brother Aashish for assistance.
Wealthy Accused Boasts Before Shooting
Upon arrival, Puttulal and his elder son attempted to calm the agitated duo, but their efforts only seemed to inflame the situation further. Akash Gautam reportedly boasted about his wealth and social status, claiming to be the chairman of a Lucknow-based property firm and mentioning that he traveled in "crore-rupee cars like Jaguar."
In a shocking display of arrogance, Akash allegedly stated that he could "buy the entire family along with the DJ floor." The confrontation reached its deadly climax when Akhilesh instructed his brother in Hindi: "Nikaalo aslahaa, maaro goli… main vakilon se sab nipat loonga" (Take out the weapon, shoot him, I'll manage the lawyers).
Following this instruction, Akash allegedly pulled out a firearm from his waistband and fired at Puttulal. The bullet struck the 45-year-old in the abdomen, causing him to collapse instantly at the scene.
Aftermath and Police Action
After the shooting, the Gautam brothers fled the venue in a different vehicle, leaving behind their Jaguar car with registration UP 32 FS 0090 at the spot. Amit's brother and other wedding attendees rushed the injured Puttulal to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead upon arrival.
Multiple eyewitnesses, including DJ colleagues Arun and Rinku and several wedding guests, corroborated the complainant's account of events. Based on the complaint, Atarouli police registered an FIR on Friday under sections 103(1), 115(2), 352, and 351(2) of the BNS.
Senior Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Meena confirmed that one of the accused, Akhilesh, was arrested within hours of the incident and has been booked for murder. Police have secured the abandoned Jaguar as evidence in the ongoing investigation.
SP Meena emphasized that the fatal shooting occurred specifically because the DJ operator refused to violate the government's 11 pm deadline for loud music, highlighting the tragic consequences of what began as a simple compliance with legal regulations.
