Crime Shambhupur

Wife, two priests killed in Azamgarh; accused dies after police fire

Police said Arvind Singh shot dead his wife Babita, 40, and priests Mahendra Pathak, 60, and Akhilesh Mishra, 55, with his licensed rifle in Shambhupur village of Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh around 6 pm Tuesday. He then locked himself in a room with his three children. After nearly seven hours of negotiation, a gunshot was heard and police returned fire. Singh and his son Shaurya died in hospital. His family claimed he was under a ghost's influence.

Written by AI from Hindustan Times — India · not yet reviewed by an editor · Published 23 Sept 2026, 12:13 pm IST

Source

Hindustan Times — India · read the original report ↗

#azamgarh#murder#uttar pradesh#police firing#superstition

Desk check · some claims need care

What the desk checked (5)

Arvind Singh shot dead his wife Babita, 40, and priests Mahendra Pathak, 60, and Akhilesh Mishra, 55, in Shambhupur village around 6 pm Tuesday. — Names, ages and timeline appear in the source, attributed to police.
The family said Singh was under the 'influence of a ghost' and consumed a lot of alcohol. — Attributed to the family via police; a subjective belief, not verified.
A puja was being held by Babita to address Singh's 'unusual behaviour' and alcoholism; Singh opposed the ritual. — Attributed to SSP Anil Kumar and to a priest who escaped the scene.
Singh held his three children hostage for nearly seven hours, shot one child, and police opened retaliatory fire. — Attributed to SSP Kumar's statement; no independent corroboration in source.
Singh and his son Shaurya Singh died during treatment; two children were rescued safely. — Stated by police in the source; post-mortem examination pending.

Written by AI from Hindustan Times — India · not yet reviewed by an editor · How we use AI · Report an error

Analysts’ view opinion

AI Legal Analyst

With the accused dead, there can be no trial for the killings — under Indian criminal procedure, proceedings against a person abate on their death. But the legal file does not close: a death caused by police firing falls into a category that ordinarily attracts independent investigation, magisterial inquiry and post-mortem scrutiny. The family's account of "ghost possession" and heavy drinking is a claim, not a legal finding; only post-mortem and forensic evidence can establish what happened.

Criminal liability dies with the accused, so the murder case against Arvind Singh cannot proceed; police will have to close it by final report even as the circumstances are documented.
Where a death results from police firing — even one described as self-defence and child rescue — established norms call for independent investigation, a magisterial inquiry and detailed post-mortem; the story does not say whether these have been initiated.
The law permits force in self-defence and to protect others' lives, but only to the extent necessary — the seven-hour negotiation and the gunshot heard from the room are central to assessing that necessity.
Because the weapon is described as a licensed rifle, administrative questions naturally arise about licence renewal and safe-storage conditions amid family concerns over drinking and "unusual behaviour".
The two surviving children and the 70-year-old mother now sit in victim-rights territory: child protection, compensation and sensitive recording of testimony become the operative legal issues.

What to watch — Watch for the post-mortem, forensic and ballistic findings — especially which weapon fired the rounds that struck the child and the accused — and whether a magisterial inquiry into the police firing is formally opened.

Post-mortem and forensic results are still awaited, and the story itself makes clear that the police account of the sequence of shots and the accused's state of mind has not been independently verified.

Deep dive

Research brief · 8 facts · 5 dates · exam-ready

The brief

Context

In Shambhupur village under Ahraula police station in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh district, Arvind Singh allegedly shot dead his wife and two visiting priests with his licensed rifle after returning home to find a 'puja' being performed for him around 6 pm on Tuesday. The ritual had been organised by his wife Babita, who believed his "unusual behaviour" and alcoholism were caused by possession by a ghost; a surviving priest told police the ritual was also linked to family concerns that the soul of Singh's elder brother, who died two years ago, was not at peace. Singh then held his three children hostage in a room for nearly seven hours. After a gunshot was heard from inside, police opened retaliatory fire; Singh and his six-year-old son Shaurya died in hospital.

Key facts

The incident occurred around 6 pm on Tuesday in Shambhupur village under Ahraula police station, Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh.
Those killed: Singh's wife Babita Singh, 40; priest Mahendra Pathak, 60, of Patkhauli village; priest Akhilesh Mishra, 55, of Chhitauna Bhatauli village.
Singh used his licensed rifle; four priests were present, two were shot dead and one who escaped gave a statement to police.
Singh allegedly demanded Aadhaar cards from the priests, triggering an argument that escalated into the shooting.
Singh locked himself in a room with his three children — a five-year-old daughter, a six-year-old son and a seven-month-old daughter.
Negotiations by police and relatives lasted nearly seven hours; Singh refused to surrender, saying the matter would be dealt with the next morning.
After a gunshot was heard, police opened retaliatory fire; Singh and his son Shaurya Singh died during hospital treatment, while two children were rescued safely.
Azamgarh SSP Anil Kumar said the family believed Singh was under a ghost's influence and organised the puja, which Singh opposed; the family also said he consumed a lot of alcohol.

Timeline

About two years agoSingh's elder brother died; the family believed his soul was not at peace, a concern linked to the ritual.
Tuesday, around 6 pmSingh returns home to find a puja under way, questions the four priests over Aadhaar cards, and shoots his wife Babita and two priests.
Tuesday evening onwardsSingh locks himself in a room with his three children; police and relatives negotiate for nearly seven hours.
Later that nightA gunshot is heard from the room; police enter, Singh allegedly fires at them and police return fire, injuring him.
After the firingSingh and his son Shaurya die during treatment in hospital; two children are rescued; bodies sent for post-mortem and forensic team collects evidence.

Who has a stake

Arvind Singh (accused) — Allegedly killed four people including his wife and son; died of injuries after police retaliatory fire, ending any trial.
Babita Singh and the two priests — Victims shot dead; Babita had organised the ritual she believed would cure her husband.
The three children and mother Samla Devi, 70 — Present at the scene; one child killed, two rescued; survivors face lasting trauma and loss of both parents.
Azamgarh police / SSP Anil Kumar — Conducted the seven-hour negotiation and the retaliatory firing; must justify use of force and complete the investigation.
Forensic and post-mortem teams — Tasked with establishing the exact cause of death and collecting scene evidence for legal proceedings.
Surviving priest witness — Key eyewitness who escaped and told police the ritual related to the unsettled soul of Singh's dead brother.

Why it matters

Five deaths in one household show how untreated alcohol dependence and belief in spirit possession can substitute for medical help, with lethal results. The case also tests police handling of an armed hostage situation involving small children, where the use of retaliatory fire must be scrutinised through post-mortem and forensic evidence. It raises questions about oversight of licensed firearms held by persons reported to be heavily drinking and behaving unusually.

UPSC angle

Prelims pointers

Location: Shambhupur village, Ahraula police station area, Azamgarh district, Uttar Pradesh.
Victims named in the source: Babita Singh (40), Mahendra Pathak (60), Akhilesh Mishra (55) and child Shaurya Singh.
Azamgarh Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anil Kumar is the officer quoted on the case.
The weapon used was the accused's licensed rifle; four priests were present, two were killed.
Police negotiated for nearly seven hours before opening retaliatory fire; two of three children were rescued.
Bodies sent for post-mortem examination; forensic team collecting evidence; legal proceedings under way.

Mains framing

The Azamgarh killings sit at the intersection of three governance failures visible in the source itself: an alcohol-dependent man whose \"unusual behaviour\" was addressed through a religious ritual for suspected ghost possession rather than any medical or de-addiction intervention; the continued possession of a licensed rifle by a person described by police as heavily drunk at the time; and the operational difficulty of a hostage situation where the hostages were a five-year-old, a six-year-old and a seven-month-old infant. Police say they warned Singh repeatedly, negotiated with relatives for nearly seven hours, and fired only after a gunshot from inside the room and alleged indiscriminate firing at the entering team — a claim that post-mortem and forensic findings will have to corroborate, since the accused died and cannot be tried. The way forward suggested by the facts on record is procedural rather than speculative: a transparent investigation and forensic reconstruction, independent scrutiny of the retaliatory fire, protection and counselling for the two surviving children and the 70-year-old grandmother, and stricter review of arms licences where alcohol abuse or behavioural instability is reported. Equally, the case underlines the need for accessible mental-health and de-addiction services so that families in rural areas do not turn to ritual remedies for what may be a treatable condition.

Key terms

Puja: A Hindu prayer service or ritual; here organised by Babita Singh to address what the family believed was her husband's possession by a ghost.
Licensed rifle: A firearm legally held under an arms licence; the weapon police say Singh used to shoot his wife, two priests and his son.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP): The senior-most police officer heading a district's force; Azamgarh SSP Anil Kumar led the team at the scene.
Retaliatory fire: Police firing in response to being fired upon or to protect life; the SSP described it as controlled and restrained, for the children's safety and self-defence.
Post-mortem examination: Medico-legal autopsy to establish cause of death; all bodies in the case have been sent for it.
Aadhaar card: India's 12-digit biometric identity document; Singh allegedly demanded the priests show theirs, sparking the argument.

Practice questions

Critically examine the challenges police face in hostage situations involving children and armed relatives, using the Azamgarh case as an illustration. How can negotiation protocols and use-of-force safeguards be strengthened?
Discuss how superstition and belief in spirit possession substitute for mental-health and de-addiction care in rural India. What institutional responses are needed?
Should arms licences be reviewed when the holder is reported to have alcohol dependence or behavioural instability? Argue with reference to the Azamgarh incident.

Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.

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