Both the man and his son were taken to a hospital, where they later died from their injuries, police said. During the standoff, the man also shot one of his children, a son. A man who allegedly shot his wife and two priests before taking three children hostage in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh on Tuesday was killed in a police encounter.
The incident began on Tuesday evening when the man, identified as Arvind Singh, returned home around 6 pm and found his wife, Babita Singh (32), performing a religious ritual with two priests, Mahendra Pathak (60) and Akhilesh Mishra (50).
Additional Director General of Police (ADG), Varanasi Zone, the police initially exercised restraint as Arvind refused to leave the house and insisted that they wait until morning, according to Naveen Arora. “Arvind and his son died of their injuries during treatment,” Dr Anil Kumar, Senior Superintendent of Police, Azamgarh, said. A verbal altercation followed, after which Arvind allegedly pulled out his licensed gun and first shot his wife before opening fire on the two priests. He then took his three children hostage and locked himself inside a room with them. The situation escalated when Arvind opened fire from inside the house, prompting the police team to enter the premises. Police rescued all three children and immediately took them to a hospital for medical treatment. Police are collecting evidence from the scene, while other necessary legal proceedings are also underway.
“After speaking with villagers, the accused’s family members, and an individual who survived the shooting unharmed, the investigation so far has revealed that Arvind was mentally disturbed and exhibited aggressive behaviour,” SSP Kumar said.
