A man accused of shooting dead his wife and two priests during a religious ritual at his home in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh was killed in a police encounter early Wednesday after holding his three children hostage for seven hours.
The accused, Arvind Singh, returned home in Shambhupur village under Ahraula police station on Tuesday evening around 6 p.m. to find his wife, Babita Singh (32), engaged in a ritual with two priests, Mahendra Pathak (60) and Akhilesh Mishra (50).
A verbal altercation followed, during which Arvind allegedly opened fire with his licensed weapon, killing his wife and both priests, before locking himself in a room with his three children.
According to Naveen Arora, Additional Director General of Police, Varanasi Zone, police initially held back as Arvind refused to come out and insisted they wait until morning.
"Even after a seven-hour siege, the accused refused to come out and kept insisting we wait until morning... Finally, when he opened fire from within, the SSP and three or four members of the Special Operations Group were compelled to break down the door and enter as a last resort," Arora told reporters, adding that officers used stun grenades and tear gas before coming under fire and returning it.
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During the standoff, Arvind shot one of his sons and used his elder daughter as a shield, Arora said. All three children were rescued and taken to hospital; the son had sustained a gunshot wound, while the two daughters were being treated for trauma and dehydration.
Arvind and his son later died of their injuries during treatment, Senior Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar said.
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Police said Arvind's mother and wife had previously complained of his aggressive conduct, and had arranged the ritual believing he was under the influence of an evil spirit. He became enraged when his wife objected to his behaviour during the ceremony.
A local resident said five priests had come for the ritual; three fled and two were killed.
Evidence collection and further legal proceedings are underway, police said.
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