The killings took place after an argument erupted over a ritual that Singh’s mother had arranged for the peace of Singh’s late brother’s soul. Singh allegedly confronted the priests, Mahendra Pathak, 60, and Akhilesh Mishra, 51, and his wife, Babita, 34, opened fire, killing all three.
Following the shootings, Singh locked himself inside his home with three of his children, creating a hostage situation. Local police and the Special Operations Group (SOG) arrived at the scene, warned him to surrender and attempted to extract the children. According to officials, Singh shot one of his children during the standoff; police returned fire, wounding Singh. Both Singh and the injured child were taken to a hospital where they later died.
Two other children were safely evacuated by the police. Locals said Singh opposed any religious ceremony and that the dispute began after he returned from the market and allegedly questioned the priests about their Aadhaar cards, escalating into gunfire.
Senior Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar confirmed that forensic teams are on site, evidence collection is underway and legal proceedings will follow. He said the police response was swift and that the incident has left the village in shock.
The incident adds to concerns about communal tensions and the misuse of firearms in rural Uttar Pradesh. Authorities have pledged a thorough investigation to determine the motives behind the killings and to address any security lapses that allowed the tragedy to unfold.