Azamgarh, September 23 (TNA) The main accused in the killing of his wife and two priests in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh district was shot dead in a police encounter early Wednesday, officials said.
The accused, identified as Arvind Singh, allegedly opened fire at his residence in Shambhupur village under the Ahraula police station area on Tuesday evening. His wife, Babita, and two priests who had reportedly arrived at the house to conduct a puja were killed in the firing. One priest was identified as Mahendra Pathak.
After the incident, Singh allegedly locked himself inside a room with his three children and firearms. Police teams surrounded the house and attempted to persuade him to surrender. The standoff continued for nearly seven hours.
According to officials, the situation escalated when Singh opened fire from inside the house. A joint team of the district Special Operations Group and the Anti-Terrorist Squad entered the premises, after which retaliatory firing took place. Singh was injured in the exchange of fire and later died.
Police said one of the children suffered a gunshot injury, while the other two were found traumatised and dehydrated. Police rescued all three children and took them to hospital for medical treatment.
Preliminary information suggests that an argument during a puja preceded the shooting. Reports indicate that a dispute over the priests’ Aadhaar cards may have escalated before Singh allegedly used a licensed firearm. The exact motive is being investigated.
Senior police officials, including Varanasi Zone ADG Naveen Arora and Azamgarh SSP Anil Kumar, monitored the operation. Further investigation is underway to establish the complete sequence of events and verify the circumstances of the encounter.