Father of the Budaun double murder case victims set his bike on fire and tried to immolate himself, police said on Sunday. He was reportedly upset over the fact the police have yet not been able to ascertain the motive behind the attack that killed his children.
Two children were killed by barbers in the Baba colony area of Uttar Pradesh's Budaun district on March 19. Sajid and Javed, both barbers, were identified as the assailants.
According to news agency PTI, Sajid had entered the house and allegedly attacked Ayush, 12, Ahaan alias Honey, 8, and Yuvraj, 10, with a knife. Ayush and Ahaan died on the spot, while Yuvraj was admitted to the hospital with serious wounds.
Vinod Kumar, the father of the deceased, set his bike on fire and later tried to immolate himself. He was stopped by police.
Vinod's mother Munni Devi was quoted by PTI as saying it's been six days since she lost her grandchildren but the police were yet to come up with a motive behind the cruelty. "It seems that the police are hiding something," she said.
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Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent of Police Alok Priyadarshi said Vinod was missing his children because of Holi and set his bike on fire in a rage. "Seeing their shoes, clothes and other festival items, he could not stop himself and set fire to his bike to vent his anger," he was quoted as saying.
The accused, Sajid, was killed in an encounter with police hours after the incident on March 19. Another accused Javed had surrendered at the Satellite Police Outpost of the Baradari Police Station in the neighbouring Bareilly district on March 22. The Budaun district administration has ordered a magisterial inquiry into Sajid's encounter.
Javed, however, denied allegations of murdering the children Ayush, 11, and Ahaan, 6. According to news agency PTI, a video had surfaced where Javed is claiming innocence. Javed says that Sajid, his elder brother, had killed the two children, and that he has no involvement in the crime.
Javed said he fled to Delhi after the incident and returned to Bareilly to surrender before the Uttar Pradesh police. The video was apparently shot inside an autorickshaw parked close to the police post.
"Beat me if you want, but I swear I am innocent. I have nothing to do with the incident. He (Sajid) was my elder brother. He did that but I have nothing to do with the incident," Javed is heard saying.
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