A man who shot dead his wife and two priests during a puja in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh district and then held his three children hostage was killed in a police encounter early on Wednesday following an eight-hour siege, police said.
The accused, Arvind Singh, was killed after he opened fire at police during an operation to rescue his three children whom he held hostage.
However, Singh threatened to shoot police personnel and family members and refused to release the children, SSP Kumar said.
As police approached, Singh opened fire at them with his licenced revolver, firing all six rounds.
Meanwhile, the police sent the bodies of the victim's wife and the two priests for a post-mortem examination.
A man who shot dead his wife and two priests during a puja in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh district and then held his three children hostage was killed in a police encounter early on Wednesday following an eight-hour siege, police said. During the standoff, the victim shot his 10-year-old son, who later succumbed to his injuries.
The accused, Arvind Singh, was killed after he opened fire at police during an operation to rescue his three children whom he held hostage. Singh’s two daughters were rescued and hospitalised.
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The incident took place in Shambhupur village on Tuesday night when Singh opened fire during a puja being held at his house, killing his wife Babita and two priests who had come to conduct a ceremony. The ceremony was being held in connection with the death of Singh’s brother.
According to the initial police account, Singh returned home while the puja was underway and objected to the presence of the priests. An argument followed before the victim opened fire, killing his wife and the two priests, who were identified as Mahendra Pathak and Akhilesh Mishra. The two killed priests -- Mahendra Pathak (L) and Akhilesh Mishra (R).
Two other priests who were present at the ceremony managed to flee the accused's house after the firing, police said.
HOW THE STANDOFF BEGAN AND ENDED
After the firing, Singh locked himself inside the house with his three children and firearms, triggering an eight-hour police standoff. Police teams surrounded the house and repeatedly appealed to him to surrender and release the children.
Azamgarh SSP Anil Kumar said the police also sought the help of Singh’s family members to persuade him to come out safely. However, Singh threatened to shoot police personnel and family members and refused to release the children, SSP Kumar said.
The standoff continued for eight hours as police maintained a cordon around the house and tried to negotiate with him.
The situation escalated when police heard a gunshot from inside the house. Singh had shot his 10-year-old son, injuring him initially. Following the gunshot, police moved in to rescue the children. The operation involved the use of stun grenades and tear gas, police said.
As police approached, Singh opened fire at them with his licenced revolver, firing all six rounds.
Police returned fire in self-defence and to protect the children. Singh was injured in the exchange of fire and was taken to hospital, where he was declared dead. His injured son was also taken to hospital but later succumbed to his injuries.
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The two surviving daughters were rescued and admitted to hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, the police sent the bodies of the victim's wife and the two priests for a post-mortem examination. They said further legal action is underway.
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