Amethi, Uttar Pradesh (October 4, 2024): Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, spoke with a family member of the four victims shot dead in their rented home in Amethi on Friday. The call was facilitated by Congress MP Kishori Lal Sharma.
"This is a heinous crime... I have been in touch with the victim's family since yesterday, they want the culprit to be punished severely, and we also want the harshest punishment. His family says that an FIR was filed in Rae Bareli, if the police had taken it seriously then this incident would not have happened," Sharma told media.
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"We want the police to get to the bottom of the matter and the government should compensate to the family... Rahul Gandhi has spoken to the family; he has said that he will come to meet them,” he added.
The victims, identified as Sunil Kumar, a 35-year-old schoolteacher, his 32-year-old wife Poonam, and their two daughters aged 5 and 2, were killed by armed assailants who entered their home on Thursday. The family lived in a rented house near the Bhavani Nagar roundabout.
The attack occurred amid heightened police presence due to a local fair that drew large crowds. Authorities reported that unidentified assailants broke into the residence and fatally shot the family members. Police recovered nine shell casings and one live cartridge from the scene.
Amethi Superintendent of Police Anoop Kumar Singh stated that Sunil, originally from Raebareli, was assigned to a government school in Panhauna. Initial investigations revealed that the family had previously lodged a complaint against an individual named Chandan Verma under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, for eve teasing. Authorities are exploring whether there is a connection between this complaint and the tragic murders.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed his condolences and condemned the incident, promising that those responsible will face stringent legal action. In a post on X in Hindi, he stated, “The incident that occurred in Amethi district today is highly condemnable and unforgivable. My condolences are with the bereaved families. In this hour of grief, the UP government stands with the victim’s family. The culprits of this incident will not be spared at any cost; strict legal action will be taken against them.”