Shimla, April 28 -- A 26-year-old mother of two was fatally shot in celebratory fire during a temple ceremony in the Kulgaon village in Rohru sub-division of Shimla district around 1.30 am on Sunday, police said. The victim, identified as Ritika of Andhra village, was killed on the spot when a "gun salute" ritual went wrong during the pran pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of deity Shalu Maharaj at the temple. Shimla senior superintendent of police Gaurav Singh said that two men, Rajat Sohta, 28, and Amit, alias Rohit Bhapta, 32, had been arrested in connection with the shooting. They had come from a nearby village to participate in the ritual. The incident happened during a celebratory fire. The weapon, a 12-bore gun, has also been seized, he said, adding that a case has been registered under Section 103 (1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act. Initial probe reveals that the bullet was fired by Rajat who then gave the weapon to Amit. The police is getting details of the licence of the weapon. The tragedy occurred during the 'Bhai-Bhai Milan' ritual, which marked the meeting of two deities Kupri Melti and Kulgaon as devotees danced around the newly built Rs.5-crore temple. Following the incident, the suspects initially fled the scene, prompting a police search. Amit was nabbed by locals and handed over to the police, while Rajat was caught from near his house later by the police. A villager without willing to be named said, "The temple ceremony was over around 8 pm after which people had community dinner and were still dancing when the incident took place around 1.30 am. The police deployment was low." The temple committee said CCTVs are installed in the temple and they are fully cooperating with the police. The incident has reignited a debate over the state's failure to enforce a 2011 Himachal Pradesh high court ban on celebratory firing, despite similar fatalities in Mandi in 2018 and injuries in Kotkhai in 2022. Local residents, most of them women, protested outside Rohru hospital on Monday, alleging a total collapse of administration. Villagers claimed they were denied a funeral van to take the body to IGMC Shimla for forensic examination, further alleging that police kept Ritika's body in a pickup truck filled with sand. An ambulance was provided after a heated confrontation with the district administration officials. Protesters are now demanding accountability for the lack of security and medical arrangements at the event. Rohru sub-divisional magistrate (SDM, Civil), Dharmesh Ramotra, said primary cause of protest was regarding the shifting of body from Rohru to Shimla for forensic examination, which is about 120 kilometers away. "We tried to convince them that the facility of forensic examination is in Shimla, which they were not ready to hear. We then arranged an ambulance in which the body was shifted to Shimla," he said while talking to HT on phone, albeit admitting the lack of funeral van in Rohru. "We will strive to get one in near future," he said. Further explaining, the SDM said the police pickup, in which the body was first kept, had come from a mining recovery. Though it was almost cleared, there was some sand remaining when the body was kept, he said. He further asked the residents not to carry or use any kind of weapons during religious and social gatherings, and warned of strict actions, including revocation of licence. Speaking on the issue of unavailability of funeral van, Rohru MLA Mohan Lal Brakta said, "I was not aware of this. I was told that the hospital does not have a funeral van so I have directed the authorities to arrange it," he said while speaking to HT on the phone. He further added that as a practice the bodies are transported mostly in police vehicles which was also done in this case. The incident has triggered a political standoff, with state BJP chief spokesperson Rakesh Jamwal accusing the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government of failing to maintain law and order. Jamwal labelled the attempt to transport the body in a sand truck an act that "shamed humanity." He termed the event "not just an accident but a reflection of an ineffective administration," arguing that the fear of the law has vanished if weapons are brandished in front of hundreds. While the administration has issued an appeal for the public to stop displaying weapons at religious events, it is still unclear if the temple committee had permits for the gathering and if the confiscated weapon was licensed. Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has expressed grief over the death of a woman. Taking details of the incident, he asked the officials to take strict action against those responsible....