suspected-killer-of-dalit-family-sent-to-up-s-raebareli-jail

Chandan Verma, the man who was accused of killing a Dalit family in Amethi, has been moved to the  district jail in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Sunday.

 

Verma (35), who was arrested on Friday, was shot at and injured by the police on Saturday as they attempted 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 pm on Saturday.

 

A 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.

 

While investigating the case police found that Poonam had lodged an FIR against the accused in Raebareli 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, and, unable to control his anger after a discussion with them, shot the family members.

 

He confessed to killing all four of them.

 

Verma said he was in a relationship with Poonam for the last 18 months and was stressed when it ended.

 

This led to the killings.

 

The accused also said that he had tried to kill himself but the pistol misfired, the police said, according to PTI.

 

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, Singh said, "He intended to shoot himself after killing the four family members... but his suicide attempt failed."

 

The Dalit schoolteacher and his wife were cremated at the Gola Ganga Ghat in Raebareli while their daughters were buried.

 

Meanwhile, Poonam’s brother Bhanu refuted Verma's claims of a 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.