Xpress News24
A four-day religious ritual meant to drive away what the family believed was the “spirit” of a deceased relative turned into a deadly hostage crisis in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh district, leaving five people dead, including the accused and his four-year-old son.
The incident took place in Shambhupur Gahji village under the Ahraula police station area on Tuesday evening. According to police and family members, Arvind Singh, who had reportedly been undergoing treatment for a mental health condition in Varanasi, opened fire during the ritual at his home. His wife Babita Singh and two priests conducting the ceremony, Mahendra Pathak and Akhilesh Mishra, were killed.
The situation then escalated into a hostage crisis after Arvind locked himself inside a room with his three children.
Police teams from six stations reached the village and began efforts to persuade him to surrender. Senior police officers, including Azamgarh SSP Dr Anil Kumar and SP Rural Chirag Jain, were involved in the operation. Officials said the priority throughout the standoff was to ensure the safety of the children.
According to preliminary information, the family had organised the ritual because they believed Arvind was affected by the “spirit” of his deceased elder brother, Sunil Singh. His mother Samla Devi, 70, and wife Babita had arranged the four-day ritual, with its final ceremony scheduled for Wednesday.
Family members told police that Arvind had been receiving treatment for a mental health condition in Varanasi. However, the belief in possession and supernatural causes remained part of the circumstances surrounding the ritual.
When Arvind returned home from the market at around 6 pm on Tuesday and saw the ceremony taking place in the courtyard, he allegedly became enraged. Police said he accused his wife of being responsible for his brother’s death before using his licensed firearm to shoot her. He then allegedly fired at the two priests conducting the ritual.
After the three killings, Arvind took his three children into a room and refused to surrender. Police officers continued negotiations for nearly seven hours.
The crisis took a more serious turn when Arvind allegedly shot one of the children inside the room. The four-year-old boy suffered critical injuries.
Around 11.30 pm, ADG Varanasi Zone Naveen Arora reached the spot as the operation entered a critical phase. A special commando team took position around 12.30 am and again attempted to persuade Arvind to surrender.
Police said Arvind responded by firing six rounds. During the ensuing exchange of fire, the police and commando team retaliated. Arvind was critically injured.
The team subsequently broke open the room and rescued the two other children safely. Arvind and his injured son were rushed to the district hospital, where both died during treatment.
SSP Dr Anil Kumar confirmed that the accused had killed his wife and two other people before taking his children hostage. He said the accused later shot one of the children despite repeated warnings. The police action was carried out with the safety of the remaining children as the priority, the SSP said.
Forensic and SOG teams were examining the crime scene and collecting evidence. Police are also investigating the circumstances surrounding the ritual, the accused’s treatment history and the sequence of events that led to the shootings.
The incident has once again brought into focus the dangerous consequences that can emerge when mental health problems become entangled with beliefs surrounding possession, black magic or supernatural intervention. In this case, however, investigators will have to establish the precise circumstances and motive through evidence gathered during the probe.
Further details of the investigation are awaited.
