Amethi murder case: Prime accused shifted to district jail in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli

Chandan Verma was produced before the court on October 5. Jail Superintendent Aman Kumar said Verma reached the jail at around 8 p.m. on October 5

“Chandan Verma, accused of killing a Dalit family in Amethi, has been shifted to the district jail in Raebareli,” officials said on Sunday (October 6, 2024.)

Verma (35), who was arrested on Friday (October 4, 2024), was shot by the police on his leg on Saturday (October 5, 2024) while they were trying to recover the pistol he allegedly used in the killing.

He was admitted to the hospital from where he was shifted to the district jail on Saturday evening. Verma was produced before the court on Saturday evening and sent to jail. Jail Superintendent Aman Kumar said Verma reached the jail at around 8 p.m. on Saturday.

The government school teacher, his 32-year-old wife Poonam and their two daughters, Drishti and Suni, were shot dead in the Ahorwa Bhawani area of Amethi on October 3.

During the initial investigation, the police found that Poonam had lodged an FIR against the accused in Rae Bareli on August 18 for eve-teasing and under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The complainant had also mentioned that "if anything happens to her or her family", Verma should be held responsible for it. Verma, a resident of Raebareli, told the police that he reached the victims' house on Thursday (October 3, 2024), got enraged over a discussion there and shot the family members. He confessed to killing all four of them.

Verma said he had an affair with Poonam for the last 18 months, adding the relationship later turned due to which he got stressed and this led to the killings. “The accused also said that he had tried to kill himself but the pistol misfired,” the police said.

Superintendent of Police Anoop Kumar Singh earlier said that Verma had fired 10 shots from a pistol. Referring to a social media post by Verma, Mr. Singh said, "He intended to shoot himself after killing the four family members. He was the fifth person but his suicide attempt failed."

The bodies of the Dalit school teacher and his wife, who were shot dead along with their two daughters, were consigned to flames on Saturday at the Gola Ganga Ghat in Raebareli, while the children were buried.

Bhanu, the brother of the deceased woman Poonam, has refuted Verma's claims of illicit relationship with his sister. "He [Chandan] used to force my sister to speak with him. He also took pictures with her forcefully that are now being circulated," Bhanu told reporters.

Published - October 06, 2024 10:51 am IST