Varanasi/Azamgarh: 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). Singh’s mother had invited the priests to conduct rituals for the peace of the soul of Singh’s brother Sunil, who was murdered in 2019, according to the preliminary probe.
ADG Varanasi Zone Naveen Arora confirmed the three deaths. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Lucknow | Silver Rate in Lucknow | Bank Holidays in Lucknow | Public Holidays in Lucknow | Lucknow AQI | Weather in Lucknow | Petrol Price in Lucknow | Diesel Price in Lucknow | CNG Price in Lucknow | LPG Price in Lucknow Stay updated with the latest Lucknow news.
Family members said Singh had opposed the rituals and warned the priests not to return. Police said he later demanded their Aadhaar cards, leading to a heated argument. Two other priests escaped unhurt. He began abusing the priests before opening indiscriminate fire, killing two priests and his wife on the spot. After the incident, Singh locked himself inside the house, triggering panic in the village. A heavy police force surrounded the premises as hundreds of villagers gathered outside. Police are investigating the circumstances leading to the shooting and the exact motive behind the killings. Download the TOI App.
District magistrate Ravindra Kumar and SSP Anil Kumar reached the spot along with forensic teams, which collected evidence before the bodies were sent for post-mortem. On Tuesday evening, Singh allegedly found his wife participating in the ceremony with four priests and questioned their presence.