A family of four was allegedly shot dead at their rented home in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi on Thursday, a month after they lodged an FIR against a man saying that if anything happened to them, then he would be responsible for it.
However, Superintendent of Police (Amethi) Anoop Kumar Singh said that it was not yet clear whether the deaths are related to the case.
The deceased were identified as 35-year-old Sunil -- a native of Rae Bareli working as a teacher at a government school in Amethi's Panhauna -- his 32-year-old wife Poonam, and two daughters -- 6-year-old Drishti and a one-year-old.
During initial probe, police found that an FIR against one Chandan Verma was registered by Poonam in Rae Bareli on August 18. The case was filed under the Scheduled Case and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and for eve-teasing, the SP said.
Poonam had mentioned in her complaint that "if anything happens to her or her family", then Verma should be held responsible. Singh, however, said that it is yet to ascertained whether the murders are related to the FIR.
The Crime Scene
Situated around 60 kilometers from the district headquarters, the crime scene saw the presence of District Magistrate Nisha Anant, SP Anoop Singh, and other officials of the police and education departments. In addition, senior officials from Lucknow were also rushed to Amethi.
The neighbours of the family heard a loud gunshot and rushed towards their house, only to find all four of them dead on the back side of the house.
Several teams have been formed by the police, with those of Local Intelligence Unit and Special Operation Groups being asked to assist in the investigation, officials noted.
"We are scanning the CCTV footage of cameras in the area as part of an effort to identify the assailants," an officer added.
Also present at the crime scene was Inspector General of Police Praveen Kumar, who told reporters that it appeared that the assailants were known to the deceased family. "It has been revealed in our preliminary forensic investigation of the crime scene that there is no sign of forced entry. Prima facie it appears that the assailants may have been known to the victim family," Kumar said.
Politicians Condemn Incident
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the incident. Taking to X, he wrote in Hindi, "The incident that happened in Amethi district today is highly condemnable and unforgivable. My condolences are with the bereaved families. In this hour of grief, UP government stands with the victim's family. The culprits of this incident will not be spared at any cost, strict legal action will be taken against them."
Samajwadi Party chief and former CM Akhilesh Yadav also reacted to the incident and raised questions over the law and order situation in the state in a cryptic post on the microblogging site X.
"Koi Hai? Kahin Hai? (Is anyone there? Is anyone anywhere?)", he wrote in his post while sharing a news clip of the incident.
Amethi MP and Congress leader Kishori Lal Sharma also slammed the BJP-led government in the state over the murders. "In Shivratanganj area of Amethi, miscreants barged into a house and brutally shot dead Sunil Kumar, assistant teacher in a composite school, his wife and two children. The savage criminals killed the entire family," Sharma posted on X.
He further wrote, "Hearing about this heart-rending incident sent shivers down the spine. The entire Amethi family is as upset as they are angry. This mass murder is the result of the government's ruined law and order situation. The criminals are fearless. The police administration should immediately arrest the criminals and give them the harshest punishment."
