At least 23 children were rescued Thursday after being held hostage for more than nine hours in a house in Farrukhabad’s Karthiya village by a murder convict out on bail. Subhash Batham, the accused, and his wife were killed by the police.
Batham took around the children, along with a few women, in captivity earlier in the day after calling them home to celebrate his child’s birthday. They were held hostage in the basement of his house, Inspector General of Police, Kanpur Range, Mohit Agarwal told news agency PTI. Batham fired six shots from inside the building, he added.
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Wife of Subhash, the man who had held 23 children hostage in Uttar Pradesh’s Farukhabad Thursday and was later shot dead by the police, was also killed in the operation. The body of the deceased, Rubi Batham, is still inside the house which is locked by the police from the outside. Locals claim they entered the house along with the police and beat Rubi Batham to death.
After the accused, who held 23 children hostage in UP's Farrukhabad village, was killed in an encounter, the police recovered heavy ammunition from him. 'Accused opened fire at policemen and locals who tried to negotiate the release of children,' IG Range Kanpu Mohit Agarwal said.
"Policemen entered from the backdoor entrance of the house where children were kept hostage. Upon seeing the policemen he tried to flee and he was shot during the attack," said ACS Awanish Awasthi.
In the latest development, Subhash Batham, who held 20 children hostage in Farrukhabad's Kesariya village, has been killed by the Uttar Pradesh Police.
After being held hostage for over nine hours in a house Farrukhabad village, all 20 children were rescued Friday, the Uttar Pradesh Police said. The accused has also been arrested. DGP OP Singh to hold a press conference in connection with the incident soon.
The accused holding 19 children hostage in a village in UP's Farrukhabad has thrown a letter from the house addressed to the DM stating he was allegedly denied housing and toilets as per government schemes. Earlier, his friend tried talking him out of the house but to no avail.
The Uttar Police has confirmed that the child who was rescued from the hostage site in Farrukhabad is a six-month girl. Children of five to seven-years-old have been held captive in Kesariya village, 200 kms away from Lucknow.
One minor child has been rescued by the Uttar Pradesh Police. Around 20 children have been held hostage by a man, who is accused of murder, in Farrukhabad's Kasaria village.
In captive for over seven hours, the 20 children held hostage by a man in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Farrukhabad, fall under the age bracket of five to seven-year-olds, a distraught mother of one of the children told PTI.
"They must be thirsty and hungry by now," she said, claiming that one of the children is barely two-and a half years old.
Subhash Batham, who is a murder accused, had called the children for a birthday party and held them hostage in the basement of a house in Farrukhabad's Kasaria village in Uttar Pradesh. The police said Batham, who seems mentally unstable, fired six shots from inside the building.
The village is nearly 200 km away from the capital Lucknow.
"We are ensuring their safe rescue of the children and if needed, the NSG (National Security Guard) will also be called for the operation," Director General of Police (DGP) O P Singh.
Inspector General of Police, Kanpur Range, Mohit Agarwal said Batham wanted to talk to the local MLA, but he refused to speak to the leader when he arrived.
CM Yogi Adityanath is personally monitoring the situation and has directed top officials to ensure the immediate release of the children without any physical harm.
The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) team will be reaching the site soon and requisition of National Security Guard (NSG) has been sought, ANI quoted ADG law and order PV Ramashastry as saying. "Entire state machinery is looking into the matter&it will be solved soon," he said.