Azamgarh, Sep 24 A six-year-old boy, allegedly shot at by his father after he killed the minor’s mother and two priests during a religious ritual here, succumbed to injuries, taking the toll in the incident to five, police said on Thursday.
The boy, Shaurya Singh alias Lakha, along with his two sisters, was held hostage by their father Arvind Singh inside a room at their home in Shambhupur village in the Ahraula area from Tuesday evening to early hours of Wednesday.
“The child had suffered injuries on his face and was admitted to the district hospital in Azamgarh but died during treatment Wednesday,” SSP Anil Kumar told reporters on Thursday.
“Singh’s two daughters, five-year-old Pari and seven-month-old Sambhavi, were also admitted to the district hospital after the incident due to trauma incurred in the episode. Both were counselled and then discharged on Thursday and taken home by the police,” Kumar said.
The shocking incident began around 6 pm on Tuesday when Singh allegedly returned home and found a four-day religious ritual underway.
His wife Babita Singh, 32, and priests Mahendra Pathak, 60, and Akhilesh Mishra, 55, were participating in the ritual, which the family had reportedly arranged over concerns about ghosts, spirits or other supernatural influences at the house.
Singh allegedly questioned the priests and demanded their Aadhaar cards before opening fire with his licensed pistol, killing all three, including his wife.
After the shooting, Singh locked himself inside a room with his three children and allegedly threatened to kill them. Police teams from eight police stations surrounded the house, while senior officers, including the DIG, ADG, and SSP, spent hours trying to persuade him to surrender.
His relatives were brought to the spot to speak to him, but he continued to refuse to come out. Villagers also told police that his mental condition did not appear to be normal.
With the standoff stretching for nearly seven hours, an ATS team was called in around 12.20 am on Wednesday. Officials said Singh indicated that he would speak to them in the morning but remained inside the room with the children. The situation suddenly turned critical when police heard gunfire from inside.
“There were three children inside the room, and police had no option after Singh opened fire,” ADG Naveen Arora had said.
Stun and tear-gas grenades were used before the door was broken open, following which the SSP and SOG personnel entered the room. Singh allegedly fired five rounds at the police team, prompting them to open “controlled fire”.
Singh was injured in the exchange and taken for treatment, but died around 3.30 am.
(PTI News)
