A man who allegedly shot dead his wife and two others during a religious ritual at his house in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh was killed in a police encounter on Tuesday following a seven-hour standoff.
Police rescued three children who were allegedly locked inside the house and took them to hospital for treatment. One of the children had sustained a gunshot wound, while the other two were reportedly found traumatised and suffering from dehydration and lack of food and water.
The accused, identified as Arvind, allegedly opened fire during the religious ceremony, killing his wife and two priests. He then locked himself inside a room with his two children and his brother’s child.
Police initially tried to persuade Arvind to surrender, but he allegedly refused and threatened to kill the children. The standoff continued for nearly seven hours before police broke into the house and rescued the children.
“Even after a seven-hour siege, the accused refused to come out and kept insisting we wait until morning. Finally, when he opened fire from within, the SSP and three or four members of the SOG team were compelled to break down the door and enter as a last resort,” ADG Varanasi Zone Naveen Arora was quoted as saying by ANI.
“We used stun grenades and tear gas. As the team members, including the SSP, entered, they came under fire and were forced to return fire,” he added.
Arora said the police used limited retaliatory fire while entering the premises and prioritised rescuing the children.
Azamgarh Senior Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar said the accused had allegedly displayed “aggressive behaviour” towards family members.
“His mother and wife had frequently complained about him assaulting family members and engaging in such conduct. Distressed by this situation, his mother and wife had organised a religious ritual. They suspected he was under the influence of an evil spirit and arranged the ceremony in the hope of dispelling it,” Kumar said.
According to Kumar, Arvind was opposed to the ritual and became angry with his family over it.
“When his wife pointed out that he was insulting the priest conducting the ritual, he became enraged and shot his wife and two other people. All three of them have died. The accused has locked himself in a room along with his children,” the officer said.
