Three people, including two businessman brothers, were killed and another was critically injured after a dispute over ₹ 20-22 lakh in donations collected by a local Ramleela committee escalated into firing in Pilibhit’s Amaria town on Monday night, police said. Eight suspects have been detained for questioning.
A forensic team examined the scene, and police personnel were deployed in Amaria to maintain law and order. Kaushal runs a clothing shop from his house, while Santosh is a bullion trader. Ankit and Mohit were shot, while Rose and Kunal were also injured. Police are investigating the sequence of events and the individual roles of those involved in the firing.
Police have arrested the main accused, Kaushal Gupta, and two others, and also recovered firearms and sticks from them, officials said According to a police official privy to the investigation, the incident took place around 9:30 pm when Mohit and Ankit, accompanied by associates, reached the house of Kaushal Gupta, a member of the local Ramleela committee, to confront his family over the dispute. The two families lived barely 200 metres apart in the same lane.
Pilibhit superintendent of police (SP) Sukirti Madhav Mishra said police recovered a licensed rifle belonging to Santosh Gupta, an illegal country-made pistol and sticks allegedly used in the clash. Kaushal allegedly opened fire along with his brother Harshit, uncle Santosh Gupta and other family members, according to police.
Neither had children. Their eldest brother, Rohit, is now the only surviving brother in the family. He and his wife, Shivani, have a one-year-old son.
Ankit had married Khushboo three years ago, while Mohit had married Neha 10 years ago.
