Amethi Murder Case: Key Accused Chandan Verma Reportedly Arrested By UP STF

Amethi: The prime accused in the Amethi murder case, Chandan Verma, who shot dead a family of four including two children in the Shivratanganj area, was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) on Friday. The UP Police confirmed that the accused was arrested after taking a clue as indicated by the accused's WhatsApp status recovered by the police.

According to police sources, the accused, Chandan Verma, had posted a WhatsApp message stating that "five people will die, I will show you soon," hinting at his plan to kill all four family members and then commit suicide. The status was updated on September 12, days after the Amethi family had lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against Chandan, on August 18, accusing him of eve-teasing. However, the police are probing the case and interrogating the accused to ascertain further facts.

CM Yogi Adityanath Instructs Officials To Ensure Strict Action

The police said that there were no signs of robbery and the motive behind the crime remained unclear. Superintendent of Police Anoop Kumar Singh confirmed all angles were being investigated, including a legal dispute involving Sunil.

Pertinently, on Thursday, the accused Chandan Verma, barged into the government teacher's house in Amethi’s Shivratanganj and opened indiscriminate firing leading to the death of the teacher’s family. The accused after committing four murders fled the crime scene. The deceased were identified as teacher Sunil (35), his wife Poonam (32), their daughter Drishti (6), and their one-year-old daughter.

As per the police sources, Chandan Verma, armed with an illegal weapon, knocked at the door of Sunil and as soon as the door was opened, he started firing indiscriminately with his pistol.

A case filed by deceased Poonam on August 18 was considered as a potential lead in the case. It was filed against Chandan Verma, accusing him of harassment, assault and threats to kill.

According to SP Anoop Singh, the earlier case was filed under the SC/ST Act. Police are also investigating those against whom the case was registered.

Meanwhile, the postmortem report of Sunil and his family revealed that Sunil was shot three times, his wife twice, and their daughters were each shot once.

The postmortem was carried out in the early hours under tight security due to the sensitive nature of the case. Following the procedure, the bodies were sent to Rae Bareli, the family’s native place, for the final rites.

Following the murder incident, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his grief and immediately instructed the officials to ensure stringent action in the matter. 

In a post in Hindi on X, he said, “The incident that happened in Amethi district today is highly condemnable and unforgivable. My condolences are with the bereaved families. In this hour of grief, the UP government stands with the victim’s family. The culprits of this incident will not be spared at any cost, strict legal action will be taken against them.”