In a sensational daylight incident, a youth suddenly attacked about a dozen neighbours with a shovel, killing three of them and leaving others injured in a village in Bulandshahr on Monday.
The injured were admitted to a hospital, where the condition of two was stated to be critical.
As per reports, Balveer alias Balla went to sow maize in his field at around 9 am on Monday. Suddenly, he had a verbal exchange with a neighbour Nathi (65) whom he fatally attacked with a shovel. Later, he attacked Prempal's wife Vimala (40) killing her on the spot.
When Ravindra (35) tried to stop him, he too was not spared and he suffered serious injuries in the fracas before succumbing to injuries later at a hospital.
Balveer also attacked Pushpendra, Naurang, Tejpal and over half a dozen other villagers who came to rescue the victims. The seriously injured were sent to the district hospital for treatment. The condition of two of the injured was stated to be critical.
Later, senior police officers rushed to the scene to supervise the investigation and nab the assailant.
The police later arrested Balveer and recovered the baton and shovel used in the crime.
DIG Santosh Kumar Singh confirmed the death of two persons and said that the condition of the other injured was critical.
Meanwhile in Hamirpur, a youth killed his aging mother by slitting her throat and torching her over a domestic dispute in Kalaulizar village under Lalpura police station of the district.
The assailant later fled the scene of crime. The local police registered a case of murder and a manhunt has been launched to nab the killer.
Lallu Vishwakarma had a dispute with his mother Sajnavati (80). On Monday, while his two brothers were away to their workplaces in Delhi, he slit her throat with an axe and set her body on fire before fleeing.
The police said that the assailant was mentally unstable and used to have frequent fights with his mother over trivial issues.
Elsewhere in Shahjahanpur, a youth killed his elderly mother for refusing to give him money for buying liquor.
Ramvati lived with her son Ram Naresh as her husband Chhedilal died about 12 years ago. Ram Naresh is an alcoholic and occasionally works as a labourer.
On Sunday evening, he asked his mother to give him money to buy liquor, and when she refused, he beat her up. Hearing her cries, his cousin Chhotelal and others rushed to the spot. But by then the woman had died and Ram Naresh had fled.
The accused was later arrested.
In Moradabad, a woman bludgeoned her husband with a brick and later surrendered before the police.
Ravi used to have arguments with his wife Kranti Devi over his drinking habits. On Sunday, Ravi reached home drunk and started beating his wife and children. During the fight, Kranti and her brother-in-law hit Ravi on the head with a brick after which he fainted. He was later admitted to the district hospital where he died during treatment.
While Kranti surrendered before police, her brother-in-law was absconding.