The incident took place in Shambhupur village of Azamgarh on Tuesday evening. Police said Arvind Singh opened fire during a religious ritual at his house, killing his wife Babita Singh and two priests, identified as Mahendra Pathak and Akhilesh Mishra. Two other priests reportedly escaped unharmed.
According to the preliminary police account, the ritual had been organised by Arvind’s family in connection with the death of his brother. Arvind had reportedly opposed the ceremony.
Police said an argument broke out after Arvind returned home and questioned the priests about the ritual. The dispute escalated into firing.
Accused locked himself inside with three children
After the shooting, Arvind locked himself inside a room with three children, his two daughters and his son and refused to surrender.
Police surrounded the house and spent around seven hours trying to negotiate with him. Family members were also brought in to persuade him to release the children and surrender.
ADG Varanasi Zone Naveen Arora said the accused repeatedly refused to come out and insisted that police wait until morning.
Police entered after gunfire from inside
The standoff took a dangerous turn after police heard a gunshot from inside the room. According to police, Arvind had fired at his son.
Officers then launched a rescue operation. Police used stun grenades and tear gas before breaking open the door.
According to the police account, Arvind opened fire as officers entered, prompting retaliatory firing. He sustained gunshot injuries and was taken to hospital, where he was later declared dead.
Son dies, two daughters rescued
Police first rescued the injured boy and then the two girls.
The boy, identified in reports as eight-year-old Shaurya, had suffered a gunshot wound and later died during treatment. The two girls were rescued alive and taken to hospital. Police said they were traumatised and showed signs of dehydration and lack of food and water. (The Times of India)
The incident therefore left five people dead, including Arvind, his wife, two priests and his son.
Police say family had raised concerns about his behaviour
According to the police, Arvind’s family members had previously complained about his aggressive behaviour.
Police said his mother and wife had arranged the religious ritual after believing that the family needed prayers following the death of his brother. Arvind objected to the ceremony and became angry when his wife confronted him during the argument with the priests. (The Times of India)
The exact sequence of events and circumstances surrounding the shootings are part of the ongoing investigation.
