The Shimla district administration has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the death of a 26-year-old woman who was shot during a religious ceremony in Kulgaon village of Rohru sub division on April 27.
Deputy commissioner Anupam Kashyap entrusted the probe to additional district magistrate, law and order, Pankaj Sharma, mandating a detailed report within seven days.
The victim, Ritika, a resident of Andhra village and a mother of two, was killed on Sunday when a “gun salute” ritual went wrong during the pran pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of deity Shalu Maharaj.
Shimla senior superintendent of police Gaurav Singh confirmed the arrest of Rajat Sohta, 28, and Amit, alias Rohit Bhapta, 32, who had travelled from a nearby village to participate in the ritual. Initial investigation suggests Rajat fired the 12-bore weapon before handing it to Amit; police have since seized the firearm and are verifying its license.
A case has been registered under Section 103 (1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act.
The inquiry’s scope will extend beyond the shooting itself to examine potential negligence by event organisers and violations of the Arms Act. The DC said the probe aims to fix responsibility for the lapses and recommend administrative actions to prevent such celebratory firing from recurring.
The incident sparked anger with residents, most of them women, staging a protest outside the Rohru hospital on Monday. Villagers alleged administrative collapse, claiming they were initially denied a funeral van to transport the body 120km to Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Shimla, for forensic examination. Protesters alleged that police placed Ritika’s body in a pickup truck filled with sand, only providing an ambulance after a heated confrontation with officials.
Rohru SDM Dharmesh Ramotra admitted to a lack of funeral vans in the sub division and said while officials attempted to explain the necessity of the Shimla-based forensic facility, an ambulance was eventually arranged to resolve the standoff.
