'5 will die': Suspect forewarned before killing Amethi family
The police have revealed that the suspect behind the murder of a family in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, had been plotting the crime for nearly a month. The victims, identified as Sunil Kumar, his wife Poonam Bharti, and their two young daughters were shot dead at their home in Bhavani Nagar on Thursday. "He had also announced his intentions publicly, albeit in a cryptic manner," police said.
Victim's previous complaint against suspect
Bharti had previously filed a police complaint against the prime suspect, Chandan Verma. In her complaint, she stated that Verma had threatened to kill her multiple times and should be held accountable if anything happened to her or her family. NDTV, citing sources, said the police have taken Verma into custody, during which they discovered a screenshot of his WhatsApp status from September 12, stating "5 people are going to die, I will show you soon."
Alleged WhatsApp status of the suspect
Investigation points to suspect's suicide plan
The police's initial investigation has indicated that Verma planned to kill himself after murdering the family. They found evidence suggesting he had visited a famous temple in Amethi just before carrying out the murders. A group of armed men, including Verma, barged into the victim's house and opened fire on all the family members before fleeing the scene on Thursday.
Opposition criticizes UP government over incident
In the aftermath, a political row has arisen, with Samajwadi Party chief, Akhilesh Yadav questioning whether agencies meant to keep the people safe were present at all. Congress's Amethi MP Kishori Lal Sharma also expressed concern over the state's law and order situation following this incident. "The state government has been patting its back over law and order and if things are so good, how are such incidents happening," Sharma asked.
