Chandauli, 12 May

(HS): An ex-Army man accused of killing three persons in Chandauli district was

murdered in an encounter on Tuesday, according to a police officer, and two cops,

including a Sub-Inspector, were also hurt. Gurpreet Singh (46), a native of

Amritsar, Punjab, was identified as the killer by Superintendent of Police Akash

Patel. Singh was charged with arbitrarily killing two people aboard a train and

one person in a hospital within 24 hours. The incident occurred on Monday,

about 10.30 p.m., when Singh was being transported to Sakaldiha village to

recreate the murder scene. Singh took a weapon from a police officer and tried

to flee by firing at the squad, according to the superintendent of police. When

the police pursued him, Singh fired again, but was wounded in the chest and

abdomen in retaliation, according to Patel.

Singh was brought to the hospital, where physicians

declared him dead. A sub-inspector and a policeman were also shot and are being

treated in hospital, according to Patel. Patel provided background information

on Singh, saying that after retiring from the Army, the 46-year-old worked as a

security guard in Bihar. However, he was terminated owing to excessive alcohol

usage, and as a result, his mental health deteriorated. Singh committed his

first murder on May 10, while travelling between Prayagraj and Chandauli. Singh

murdered a guy called Mangru, a native of Zamania in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur

district, aboard the PDD-Tarighat Passenger train, according to the

superintendent of police.

Following that, about 2 a.m. on May 11, Singh shot

another passenger in the head while riding the Jammu-Tawi Express, he said. Then,

on the same day, Singh entered a private hospital disguised as a patient and

murdered Laxmina Devi, a native of Bhabhua, Bihar.

Singh attempted to run after shooting her in the temple, but was arrested by a

mob and turned over to police. During interrogation, Patel stated that Singh

denied having a personal grudge against the three individuals he murdered. Singh's

body has been sent for a post-mortem investigation, Patel confirmed.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi