Xpress News24
A deeply disturbing aftermath has emerged from Azamgarh’s Shambhupur Gahji village, where a shooting inside a family home left five people dead. The most painful chapter came after the deaths, when the bodies of the accused man, his wife and their young son reportedly faced rejection from both relatives and villagers.
The three bodies were eventually cremated together with the help of a social organisation after villagers allegedly stopped the vehicles carrying the bodies from entering the village.
The incident took place in the Ahraula police station area on Tuesday evening. According to the information provided by police and family members, 40-year-old Arvind Singh returned home from the market at around 6 pm while a religious ritual was underway. An argument reportedly broke out between Arvind and the priests conducting the ritual.
The confrontation escalated rapidly. Arvind allegedly opened fire with his licensed revolver, killing his wife Babita Singh, 40, and two priests identified as Mahendra Pathak, 60, and Akhilesh Mishra, 55.
After the firing, Arvind reportedly entered a room with his three children and remained inside for several hours. Police personnel from multiple stations reached the village, cordoned off the area and tried to persuade him to surrender through loudspeakers.
The standoff continued for nearly seven hours. When gunfire was reportedly heard again from inside the house, ATS commandos were brought in. Security personnel used tear gas and stun devices while attempting to secure the children.
According to the account provided, Arvind fired several rounds towards the commandos and also shot his son Shaurya. Both were taken to hospital. Shaurya died during treatment, while Arvind later succumbed at a higher medical centre.
With the deaths of the three family members and the two priests, the incident claimed five lives.
The investigation is also examining the circumstances surrounding the religious ritual. Family members said Arvind had been under severe mental stress following the killing of his brother in 2018. They alleged that some people had convinced the family that Arvind was affected by the spirit of his deceased brother.
A tantric ritual had reportedly been underway at the house for several days. Arvind was said to have opposed the proceedings, while his mother and wife supported them. The disagreement allegedly became a source of repeated conflict inside the family.
Babita’s maternal family has also levelled serious allegations against Arvind’s relatives. Her mother alleged that Babita’s character had been questioned and claimed that the accusations against her daughter were false. These allegations remain part of the family’s account and would require verification during the investigation.
The aftermath has left an equally disturbing picture. According to the account of the incident, neither side of the family came forward to perform the last rites of Arvind, Babita and their son. Villagers reportedly prevented the vehicles carrying the bodies from entering the village.
A social organisation, Bharat Raksha Dal, subsequently stepped in and helped arrange the cremation. The three bodies were cremated on a single pyre.
Two children have now been left behind — five-year-old Pari and a seven-month-old infant — along with Arvind’s 70-year-old mother. Family members say Pari continues to ask for her mother.
The police investigation into the shooting, the circumstances leading to the killings and the events surrounding the religious ritual is continuing. Further details are awaited.
