LAHORE, Jan 14: Aerial firing at a ‘mehndi’ claimed a life and left another injured in Misri Shah early Sunday.

Zeeshan Ahmad, 15, and Amjad Ali, 30, were present at the Rasm-i-Hina of their relative Umer Khan, son of Sarfraz Khan, in Shaheen Park when Umer’s four friends resorted to aerial firing to celebrate the event.

Their indiscriminate fire injured Zeeshan and Amjad who were rushed to Mayo Hospital where Imran died. Umer and his four friends fled.

Misri Shah police registered a case against bridegroom Umer and four others under sections 302 and 324 on the complaint of deceased’s father Irshad Ahmad.

Misri Shah SHO Kamran Zaman told Dawn that groom whose marriage was allowed to be held on Sunday night would be interrogated in a day or two to know the whereabouts of his friends.

The latest aerial fire killing shows that police have failed to check the crime despite its claim of launching a crackdown on violators at wedding ceremonies.

Some police officials admitted they could not check all the wedding ceremonies in a day because of the shortage of staff and a rising number of weddings.

“At least 20 weddings are held in the Misri Shah and Shadbagh areas every day, and it is difficult to monitor all these events,” said a Misri Shah police official seeking anonymity.

A police source said a directive issued by DIG Aamir Zulfikar on Dec 26 to check aerial firing was not being implemented owing to “non-serious” attitude of the heads of divisions.

“If police register cases against the violators of the ban on aerial firing, the menace can be stopped,” he said.

The directive ordered the registration of a first information report against a bridegroom, his father and the management of banquet halls if they violate the ban on aerial firing, fireworks and playing loud music at wedding ceremonies.

All divisional SPs were directed to inform the managements of the banquet halls in their areas about the crackdown and bound SPOs to maintain a close liaison with nazims and naib nazims.

They were also directed to take a stern action against the people blocking traffic by erecting tents on roads for wedding ceremonies.

Police sources added two squads to submit daily reports to the deputy inspector general of police had also failed to fulfil their assignment.

Injured: Four people sustained injuries when two rival groups exchanged fire in the Raiwind City area on Sunday.