Azamgarh Shooting Incident: ‘Show your Aadhaar’: How a ritual for wife’s slain brother turned deadly in UP’s Azamgarh | Varanasi News
VARANASI: Two priests and a woman were allegedly shot dead by her husband during a dispute over a religious ritual in Shambhuganj village in Azamgarh on Tuesday evening.Police said the accused, Arvind Singh, 35, opened fire with his rifle after an argument with priests who had come to conduct rituals at his house. The deceased were identified as Mahendra Pathak, 60, Akhilesh Mishra, 50, and Singh’s wife Babita, 32. Two other priests escaped unhurt.According to the preliminary probe, Singh’s mother had invited the priests to perform rituals for the peace of the soul of Singh’s brother Sunil, who was murdered in 2019. Family members said Singh had opposed the ceremony and warned the priests against returning to the house.Demand for Aadhaar cards preceded firingPolice said Singh returned home while the ritual was underway and found his wife participating in the ceremony with four priests. He questioned their presence and later demanded to see their Aadhaar cards.An argument followed, with Singh allegedly abusing the priests before opening indiscriminate fire. Two priests and his wife were killed on the spot, police said.Accused barricades himself inside houseAfter the shooting, Singh allegedly locked himself inside the house with his three children, triggering panic in the village.A heavy police force surrounded the premises as hundreds of villagers gathered outside. Senior officers, including District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar, SSP Anil Kumar, DIG Sunil Kumar Singh and ADG Varanasi Zone Naveen Arora, reached the spot. An ATS commando team was also roped in as police launched an operation to bring the standoff to an end.Forensic teams collect evidenceForensic teams examined the scene and collected evidence before the bodies were sent for post-mortem examination.ADG Varanasi Zone Naveen Arora confirmed the deaths. Police said no personnel were injured during the encounter. The circumstances leading to the shooting and the exact motive behind the killings are being investigated.
