Police shot the man accused of killing a Dalit family in Amethi in the leg early Saturday while recovering the weapon used in the brutal crime.
Chandan Verma, the accused, attempted to snatch a sub-inspector’s gun during the recovery operation near a canal track, leading to the police response.
According to police, Sub-Inspector Madan Kumar Singh of Shivratanganj Police Station was inspecting the recovered weapon when Verma grabbed Singh's gun from his holster and fired at him.
Inspector Sachchidanand Rai responded by shooting Verma in the leg to defend his colleague.
Verma was quickly apprehended and taken to the Tiloi Community Health Centre for treatment. He had been arrested the previous night near a toll plaza in Noida while attempting to flee to Delhi.
Police have seized a country-made pistol and a black Enfield Bullet motorcycle, believed to have been used in the crime.
The brutal murders shocked Amethi when 35-year-old schoolteacher Sunil Kumar, his wife Poonam (32), and their two young daughters, Drishti (6) and Suni (1), were gunned down in their home in Ahorwa Bhawani.
On Thursday, Verma, accompanied by a group of armed men, barged into the family’s home and shot them dead with an illegal .32-bore pistol.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear, though there were no signs of robbery, according to police.
A significant clue came from Verma's WhatsApp status, which police recovered after the killings.
In the message, Verma ominously warned, "Five people will die, I will show you soon," indicating his intention to kill the family and then take his own life.
The police are investigating multiple angles, including a legal dispute involving Sunil Kumar.
Superintendent of Police Anoop Kumar Singh confirmed that all possibilities were being examined, including a complaint filed by Poonam against Verma in August.
The case, filed under the SC/ST Act, accused Verma of harassment, assault, and death threats.
In the earlier case, Poonam had reported Verma's repeated harassment and threats to kill her and her family.
Police are now looking into those named in that complaint as potential leads in the investigation.
The Superintendent of Police assured the public that no angle would be overlooked in bringing the culprits to justice.
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