Amethi (Uttar Pradesh): Police shot a man accused of murdering an entire Dalit family in Amethi in his leg in the wee hours of Saturday while they were recovering the pistol used in the killing.
Chandan Verma, the accused killed Sunil Kumar (35), a government school teacher, his 32-year-old wife Poonam and their daughters Drishti and Suni, aged six and one, in the Ahorwa Bhawani area of Amethi on Thursday. Police said that as per preliminary investigation, Verma was having an affair with Poonam which led to the killings.
However, their relationship was not moving smoothly as Poonam had accused Verma of harassing her and also filed a police complaint against him recently.
Police will present Chandan in the Rae Bareli court and seek 14 days remand. Two FIRs have been registered against Chandan under Section 109 of BNS at Mohanganj and Shivratanganj police stations.
Responding to media persons, Chandan said that he did not have any relationship with Poonam.
On Friday, police arrested Verma from the Jewar Airport while he was trying to flee and was recovering the pistol used in the murder when Verma snatched the revolver from an inspector nearby and opened fire at them. The incident took place near the forest of Piure Vindhya Diwan Canal Track in the Mohanganj police station area.
Verma snatched the revolver from inspector Madan Verma and tried to attack other policemen when the former was shot in his right leg. Amethi Superintendent of Police Anoop Singh said that police were forced to shoot at Verma's leg failing which he would have shot them and fled."Verma has been sent to the Tiloi Community Health Centre," he added.
Police have seized a country-made pistol and a black Enfiled Bullet used in the crime.
Deceased's brother denies affair between accused and victim's wife:
Poonam's brother Bhanu claimed that the theory given by police of an affair between his sister and Chandan is incorrect and instead accused the cops of being negligent in acting on their complaint.
Speaking to media persons, Bhanu said Poonam was not in a relationship with Chandan and it was he who was actually the fifth target mentioned by the accused in his WhatsApp status. A screenshot of the status that went viral on social media on the morning of the murder stated that five persons would die.
"Only I know Chandan's truth and that is why he was afraid of me. Chandan had written in his status that five persons will die. He had already killed four and I was to be the fifth person," Bhanu, who reached Dalmau Ghat for the funeral of the family said.
He said that Chandan had clicked a photograph with his sister while walking. Chandan had snatched his sister's mobile and forcefully took her number, Bhanu alleged. Thereafter he started harassing the whole family, Chandan added. He lived in a rented accommodation near the victim's rented house.
"Chandan used to talk to Poonam forcibly at gun-point. On May 19, he took a picture with her while walking and made it viral. He also showed the picture to others to portray that they were in a relationship", Bhanu said.
Victim's brother alleges of police inaction:
Bhanu further said that Chandan harassed his sister from March to May and did not listen even after complaining to police.
"I had lodged a complaint at Gadganj police post and Shivratanganj police station. Once, Chandan came to my sister's house with his mother and they had beaten up Poonam. I told Indira Nagar police post that Chandan has a pistol but police did not register any FIR. It was only when I told them that my brother-in-law was also in the police force that FIR was registered. If the Rae Bareli Police had taken action on time, then the four lives could have been saved," he said.
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