Lucknow: The chilling murder of a Dalit teacher, his wife, and their two young daughters in Bhavani Nagar, Amethi, was planned for nearly a month, police said on Friday.
The suspect, Chandan Verma, had publicly cryptically hinted at his intentions before carrying out the crime, which left the family dead and the community in shock. Verma, who is now in custody, reportedly planned to kill himself after the murders.
Police claim that Verma and the wife of the teacher had an affair. The police have recovered proof that they used to chat regularly. We are looking at this angle too, a senior police official told this reporter.
The victims, Sunil Kumar, his wife Poonam Bharti, and their daughters—aged one and six—were shot dead in their home on Thursday evening. Investigations revealed that Bharti had filed a police complaint against Verma in August, citing threats to her life. She accused him of misbehaving with her and assaulting both her and her husband during a hospital visit in Rae Bareli on August 18.
In the complaint, Bharti wrote, "If any incident happens to me or my family, Chandan Verma will be responsible."
Verma’s WhatsApp status from September 12 further supports the police's claims of premeditation. In a disturbing message, he wrote, "Five people are going to die, I will show you soon." Officials believe this refers to his plan to murder the family and then take his own life.
Verma allegedly visited a temple shortly before the killings were carried out, adding another layer of mystery to the case.
Political Fallout
The brutal killings have sparked political controversy, with the opposition attacking the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government over the state’s law-and-order situation. Chief Minister Adityanath quickly responded, directing the UP Special Task Force (STF) to oversee the investigation. He also expressed condolences to the family via social media.
“The incident is highly condemnable and unforgivable. The culprits will face the strictest legal action,” Adityanath posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Opposition leaders, however, have seized upon the tragedy to criticize the government. In a brief but pointed post on X, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned the state's ability to protect its citizens, saying, "Koi hai, kahin hai (Is anyone there, is someone there anywhere)?"
Amethi’s Congress MP, Kishori Lal Sharma, on Friday said that Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had spoken with the father of one of the victims. Sharma criticized the state government: "The law-and-order situation is deteriorating. The government has been claiming otherwise, but incidents like this expose the reality."
