In a horrifying incident in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, a family of four was shot dead in their rented home in the Ahorwa Bhawani area on Thursday evening. The victims, Sunil Kumar (35), a government schoolteacher, his wife Poonam (32), and their two daughters, Drishti (6) and Suni (1), were brutally murdered by an unidentified assailant. The crime has shaken the local community, with the victims’ relatives and political leaders calling for swift justice.

Ram Gopal, the father of Sunil Kumar, spoke to reporters on Friday, expressing his grief and anger. He demanded that the killers of his son and family meet the same fate. “The way my son has gone, they (killers) should go the same way,” he said. Ram Gopal, who is over 60 and dependent on his son for financial support, is now left without a breadwinner and has pleaded with the government to help his remaining son find employment.

The police suspect Chandan Verma, a man who had been accused by Poonam of harassment, to be involved in the murders. Poonam had filed a complaint against Verma on August 18 under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, in Rae Bareli, stating, “If anything happens to me or my family, Verma should be held responsible.” It is yet to be confirmed if the two cases are linked, as police continue their investigation.

The brutal killings have drawn the attention of authorities, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath offering his condolences. Opposition leaders, meanwhile, have criticized the state government over the deteriorating law and order situation.

A team of doctors has conducted the post-mortem of the victims under videography, while the police have deployed five teams to solve the case. Ram Gopal, heartbroken, later took the bodies of his loved ones to their native village in Rae Bareli’s Unchahar for the final rites.