Accused of killing four members of a family in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, Chandan Verma, was shot in the leg by police on Oct 5 morning and is currently receiving treatment at a hospital.
Verma killed four people, including two children, on Oct 3. He was having an illicit affair with the deceased's wife, police said.
The police said in a statement that Verma was taken into custody on Oct 4. In an attempt to avoid being detained, he grabbed a police gun and opened fire on the squad. They claimed that he was shot in a shootout.
According to the police, the incident occurred as he was taken away to retrieve the murder weapon.
“While being escorted to recover the weapon used in the murder, Chandan Verma snatched Sub-Inspector Madan Kumar’s pistol and attempted to attack the police team,” said Harendra Kumar, additional superintendent of police (ASP), Amethi.
“In response, the officials fired, injuring him in the leg. Verma has been admitted to Gauriganj District Hospital for treatment following the incident,” he added.
The incident occurred in Ahorwa Bhawani of Amethi, where a government school teacher, Sunil Kumar, 35, his wife Poonam, 32, and their two children, Drishti and Lado, were killed.
At a press conference on Oct 4, the police disclosed that Verma and Sunil Kumar's wife Poonam had an illicit relationship, which led to the killing of four people.
“The accused had been in an affair with the deceased’s wife, Poonam Bharti, for a year and a half. During the incident, the accused kept firing at anyone who came in front of him and even attempted suicide, but the bullet missed,” Amethi Superintendent of Police Anoop Kumar Singh said.
“He was unable to fire again out of fear and fled the scene. He had entered the house from the front and escaped from the back. This was his first time visiting the woman’s home,” he added.
Singh continued, “The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) arrested Chandan near Jewar toll plaza. Verma traveled through different routes, including Prayagraj, before being caught. Five teams were formed to crack the case.”
In addition, the police deciphered Verma's WhatsApp status, which said that "5 people are going to die," and they discovered that the number five represented his intention to murder the four family members before taking his own life.
Following an initial police investigation, it was discovered that Poonam had filed a police complaint for harassment under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, against Chandan in Rae Bareli on Aug18.
“If anything happens to me or my family, Verma should be held responsible for it,” she had written in the complaint, Anoop Kumar Singh said on Oct 3.
Police characterized the Amethi murder case as a difficult investigation due to the lack of leads; however, a breakthrough was made possible by the Facebook profiles of Verma, the accused, and Poonam, the wife of the victim.
Each had the other's photo on their profile, proving that they were having an affair. The profiles were locked by the STF to stop manipulation.
The authorities initially thought the murder was the result of a robbery, but later on, their love affair came to light.
According to a senior police officer, Verma rode a two-wheeler by himself from Rae Bareli to Amethi on the day of the crime, pausing along the way to see Ahorva Bhavani Dham before reaching the teacher's house.
Verma, armed with a gun, opened fire on everyone in front of him, killing four people, including the teacher, his wife, and their two small kids.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences for the deaths. The opposition launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) government's handling of law and order in the state.
