Bareilly (UP), March 16 A man allegedly stabbed his mother-in-law and brother-in-law to death and seriously injured his wife during a panchayat in Rahpura Chaudhary village in Bareilly district, police said.
The accused, identified as Afsar Khan, fled after the attack and police teams have been deployed to trace him, Bareilly Additional SP Manush Pareek said.
"Raid are being conducted at several locations and the accused will be arrested soon," he added.
According to the police, the victims have been identified as 19-year-old Adil and his 45-year-old mother Asma, while the accused's wife Saima sustained serious stab injuries and is undergoing treatment in a hospital where her condition is stated to be critical.
Family members said Afsar Khan had a violent temperament and frequently quarrelled with his wife over minor issues, forcing her to repeatedly return to her parental home.
Saima had reportedly refused to go back with him due to his aggressive behaviour.
They said the accused had earlier been arrested in 2022 for allegedly killing his maternal uncle in the Bithri Chainpur police station area and had recently returned to the village after securing bail from a court.
The police said Saima had submitted a written complaint at Izzatnagar police station on Sunday alleging that her husband was threatening to kill her and her family members.
On Monday, villagers convened a panchayat to resolve the dispute when the accused allegedly attacked the family members with a knife before fleeing, the police said.
The panchayat was convened at the home of Rashid, a resident of the village and everyone was hopeful that a solution would emerge through dialogue and that the matter would be resolved peacefully.
However, the moment Afsar Khan arrived there, he started shouting expletives, pulled a sharp and pointed knife from his pocket and attacked the three.
An eerie silence has descended upon the entire village of Rahpura Chaudhary in the wake of this incident.
People are unable to come to terms with the fact that two individuals were brutally killed right in the midst of a panchayat gathering.
There is also deep outrage among the villagers at the police.
They argue that this bloodshed might well have been averted had the police taken strict action against the accused earlier.