Azamgarh/Lucknow: Arvind Singh, 42, who allegedly unleashed a deadly rampage inside his home before being killed in a police encounter, had in recent months retreated deeper into isolation, cutting himself off from relatives, neighbours and the wider village community, according to those who knew him.Family members and residents of Shambhupur Gahji village in Azamgarh, where the incident took place, said Arvind had been working at a poultry farm and also doing agricultural work. However, both sources of livelihood had reportedly dried up recently.Villagers said his life had increasingly become confined to his home and that he had become reluctant to interact with people.Arvind had also reportedly imposed restrictions on his children. He did not allow his son or daughter to regularly attend school or freely mingle with other children in the village, further isolating the family from the community.According to village pradhan Santosh Nishad, Arvind’s behaviour also reportedly changed after Sunil was killed in 2018. Relatives of Arvind were arrested in connection with that murder.Five-day puja for his wellbeingAccording to police and family members, a five-day religious ceremony had been organised at Arvind’s house for his well-being. The family had reportedly come to believe that he was under the influence of an “evil spirit”, following which priests were called to conduct the rituals.Three priests were involved in the ceremony and were reportedly being paid Rs 1,000 each. Tuesday was the fourth day of the ritual.The ceremony, however, ended in bloodbath.According to the police account and eyewitness testimony cited in the case, Arvind became agitated during the proceedings and allegedly began abusing the priests. He reportedly questioned their identities and objected to their presence at his house.His wife, Babita, 35, intervened and asked him to remain calm, telling him that the prayers were being conducted in their own home.Police said Arvind then assaulted Babita before going inside the house, taking out his licensed revolver and opening fire.A third priest, who managed to escape, later provided an account of the shooting to police.According to his account, the priests had been conducting the puja for several days and Arvind had objected to their presence. When the argument escalated, he allegedly shot his wife and then opened fire at them as they attempted to flee.
