A violent clash broke out in the Amariya town of Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit district on Monday night, leaving three people dead and several others injured following indiscriminate gunfire between two rival factions.
The dispute reportedly stemmed from a long-standing confrontation regarding dominance and representation in the local Ramlila Mela Committee. The sensational triple murder has triggered severe tension and panic across the locality, prompting the administration to deploy heavy police personnel throughout the town to maintain order.
The fatal altercation took place around 9:30 PM on Monday between groups led by Naresh Gupta and Kaushal Gupta, both local residents of Amariya town. A verbal spat over the mela committee escalated rapidly into open violence, with Kaushal Gupta’s faction allegedly opening fire indiscriminately with a rifle, causing widespread panic and stampede-like conditions in the surrounding area.
During the shooting, Naresh Gupta’s 29-year-old son, Ankit Gupta, sustained a gunshot wound to the shoulder, while a 14-year-old bystander, Kunal Srivastava (son of Guddu Srivastava), who happened to be strolling nearby, was struck in the head by a stray bullet. Police rushed to the spot and shifted the victims to the local Community Health Centre, where medical personnel pronounced Kunal and Ankit dead on arrival. Ankit’s 31-year-old elder brother, Mohit Gupta, sustained critical gunshot wounds and was referred to Bareilly for specialized care, but he succumbed to his injuries en route. In addition, 22-year-old Rosh Gupta, son of Pradeep Gupta, sustained gunshot injuries and is undergoing treatment. The death of the innocent teenage bystander has triggered intense outrage among local residents.
Taking cognizance of the severity of the incident, Superintendent of Police (SP) Sukirti Madhav Mishra and Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Himanshu Gaurav visited both the crime scene and the district medical facility to review the security situation. SP Sukirti Madhav Mishra confirmed that police initiated prompt action, detaining prime accused Kaushal Gupta along with two associates, Harshit Gupta and Santosh Gupta.
The police have seized a licensed rifle registered to Santosh Gupta, an illegal country-made pistol, and several lathis from their possession. Forensic and technical investigative units have secured the crime scene to gather evidence, while Amariya town remains heavily fortified with police personnel to preempt further untoward incidents.
