Budaun, UP:

The father of the two children brutally murdered in Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun, concerned over the lack of clarity surrounding the motive behind the double murder, set a bike on fire on Sunday.

A fire brigade team successfully brought the fire under control. Senior Budaun police officer Alok Mishra arrived at the scene, and the in-charge of the Civil Line police station, Gaurav Vishnoi, held discussions with the family members, trying to make them understand that motive for the murders will only be disclosed following the investigation of the case.

According to the police, Sajid, a familiar face in the neighborhood who ran a barber shop opposite the victims’ residence, was responsible for the double murder. Sajid, known to the children’s father, Vinod Singh, visited their house under the guise of borrowing Rs 5,000. However, moments after being handed the money, Sajid launched a savage assault on the children as their mother prepared tea for him.

After gaining entry into the household, Sajid allegedly asked Aayush (11) to take him to his mother’s beauty salon upstairs. Upon reaching the second floor, Sajid allegedly switched off the lights before launching a vicious assault on Aayush with a knife. As Sajid slashed Aayush’s throat, his younger brother Ahaan (6) entered the room. Sajid then grabbed Ahaan and stabbed him multiple times as well. Subsequently, he targeted their other sibling, Piyush, though the seven-year-old managed to escape, sustaining minor injuries in the process.

Following the assault, Sajid fled the scene along with his brother Javed, who was reportedly waiting outside with a motorcycle. However, their escape was short-lived as Sajid was later confronted by the police and killed in an encounter. The encounter resulted in injuries to a police personnel as well.

Javed, the co-accused, was on the run but has since surrendered to Bareilly police. In a video message, Javed claimed innocence, stating that he possesses call recordings suggesting his brother’s involvement in the crime.

The father of the murdered children, Vinod Singh, has called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the murders. He has urged the authorities to refrain from resorting to encounters and instead ensure Javed’s arrest to uncover the motive behind the heinous crime.

“I want to know the reason for the murder,” Vinod Singh said, seeking answers from the authorities. 

“Javed must be questioned so that we know why they did this. If he is killed in an encounter, the secret will never come out. Others may be involved too. We need to know if my children were killed as part of a conspiracy. They would have killed others in the family too,” he added. 

Investigation into the case is still ongoing with the police trying to establish the motive behind the gruesome murders. 

Lucknow:

Two children were brutally murdered at their home in an Uttar Pradesh city sparking tension in the area. A man allegedly slit the throats of the two brothers after barging into their house this evening.

The brothers (12 and 8) were playing on the terrace of their home when the incident happened, police said.

Angry locals set a shop on fire after the incident in Budaun’s Baba Colony under the Mandi Samiti police station. The situation is now under control, the police said.

The accused has been killed in an encounter after he tried to fire at the police.

The motive for the attack is not known yet.

Budaun District Magistrate Manoj Kumar said the police received information about the crime and the subsequent protest by the locals. He called on people to maintain peace.