An 18-year-old boy was hacked to death during a clash between two groups of relatives and friends of the bride and groom over playing a song at a wedding in Durgapur town late on Saturday night.

Police arrested three persons from the groom’s family and started a case of murder against them.

The trio were produced before a judicial magistrate court in Durgapur on Sunday and were remanded for six days in police custody.

The deceased’s body was sent for autopsy at the Asansol district hospital.

The wedding ceremony at Vambay (Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana) Colony at New Township police station limits was stopped immediately after the incident. The bride’s father cancelled the wedding.

The bride’s family alleged that the youth, Artist Bed, was shot dead but police denied any incident of firing during the clash.

“As of now, we haven’t found any incident of firing during the clash at the wedding ceremony. We have noticed deep stab injuries on the chest of the deceased youth. Everything will be ascertained once we get the autopsy report of the body,” said Subir Roy, the assistant commissioner of police (Durgapur).

Sources said trouble started between a section of the groom’s family members and friends who were allegedly drunk and the bride’s family members over playing music at the wedding.

The groom came from Barakar with his father and other guests.

“Some relatives of the groom wanted to change the song that was playing. However, this was refused by some relatives of the bride. Many of them from the groom’s side were drunk. A heated altercation over the song ensued,” said one of the family members of the bride.

The altercation soon snowballed into a full-blown clash between the relatives and friends of the bride and the groom with bamboo sticks and bricks.

“During the altercation, some youths from the groom’s side, who were in a drunken condition, started ransacking the pandal at the wedding venue. My daughter’s wedding with the groom was about to start when the unfortunate incident occurred. I tried to stop both the two warring groups but in vain,” said Jadukar Bed, the bride’s father.

Suddenly, Artist, who was from the bride’s side, collapsed to the ground, profusely bleeding.

Amid the uproar, the bride’s father immediately stopped the wedding ceremony and cancelled his daughter’s marriage.

Artist’s uncle Abinash Bed, who was at the wedding, alleged that one of the youths from the groom’s side had stabbed Artist with a knife repeatedly, causing him
to slump.

The relatives and friends of the bride forcibly detained the groom, his father and their other relatives at the wedding venue. They also called up the police.

Artist was rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors on duty pronounced him dead on arrival.

Doctors found deep stab injuries on the right side of the teenager’s chest, sources said.

The police later arrested three youths, all relatives of the groom, based on the complaint lodged by the bride’s father. The person who allegedly stabbed Artist, according to his uncle’s statement, is among the arrested.

The police said they had started a murder case against the trio. Investigations are on.

The groom’s father returned to Barakar with his son and relatives on Sunday. He refused to speak to media persons.