Rishabh Shukla, a 34-year-old man from Lucknow, has been arrested after allegedly opening fire on three men. Five of Shukla’s family members, including his father, sister, two uncles and a cousin, have reportedly been detained for instigating the attack.
The deadly conflict broke out on October 24 in the Brahmani Tola locality in Saadatganj. The attack was triggered by a decade-long dispute regarding a parking spot and the construction of a platform under a banyan tree. While the Shukla family opposed it, the victim’s family supported the construction.
The incident gained attention after two videos surfaced on the internet, showing Shukla gunning down the victims, claiming that he was acting in self-defence.
The victims were from the same family. They were identified as 63-year-old Shivaji Tiwari, his 55-year-old brother Shivendra Tiwari and Shivendra’s 30-year-old son Suyash Tiwari.
The videos circulating on the internet show Shukla shooting Shivendra first, followed by Shivaji Tiwari and Suyash. While a woman tends to one victim, one of the other victims is seen lying near a black car, pleading for help. Dressed in a white T-shirt and shorts, the accused holds the gun easily and casually reloads the bullet before shooting again. He allegedly fired more than 12 rounds during the conflict.
“I shot them all in self-defence," Shukla says in the video. He claimed that he was assaulted and that they beat him with a brick.
According to TOI, the confrontation over parking a car escalated when both sides of the argument began filming the incident. The police had reportedly asked the Tiwari family to film the incident if they felt threatened.
Shukla reportedly remained calm after the crime, sitting with a pistol in one hand and a magazine in the other. He allegedly threatened to shoot anyone who offered to help the injured.
Media reports indicate that the prime accused, Shukla, is a state-level shooter who won a gold medal in 2024 for a trap shooting competition. He frequently displayed firearms on his social media accounts. His Instagram account also shows multiple posts with snakes and dogs, interacting effortlessly with the animals. Police have not verified claims that he previously served in the Merchant Navy.
Meanwhile, the Lucknow Development Authority sealed Shukla’s house and demolished a wall, citing illegal construction. The action followed the victim’s family complaining that the house was built on Nazul land.
Lucknow police suspended the Station House Officer of Saadatganj police station, Santosh Kumar Arya, and Sub-Inspector Ajay Chaurasia after the family accused them of failing to act on repeated complaints against the Shukla family.
