Cops to Adopt One-Year-Old Daughter of Couple Killed During Hostage Drama in Farrukhabad

Lucknow: The police department in Uttar Pradesh has decided to adopt and take responsibility of the one-year-old daughter of Subhash and Ruby Batham, the Farrukhabad couple at the centre of a hostage drama where 23 children were held at gunpoint.

"We will ensure that she gets good education and become a big officer one day. The girl is just one year old and her name is Gauri,” IG Range (Kanpur) Mohit Agarwal told members of the press.

The police took the step when no relative of the couple turned up to claim responsibility of the one-year-old.

While Subhash was killed in a police encounter, Ruby was lynched by angry locals.

“Also, no relative from Subhash’s side and from Ruby’s side has turned up to claim their bodies. In case no one claims the bodies for few more days, the last rites will be performed,” Agarwal added.

The hostage drama began at Kasaria village of Farrukhabad in the afternoon on Thursday and continued for more than ten hours. The accused Subhash Batham was killed and there were about 23 children who were rescued safely. Wife of Subhash, Ruby was lynched by an angry mob of locals for her role in the hostage drama where 23 kids were held hostage after being invited on the pretext of birthday celebration.

Eyewitnesses said a restive crowd gathered outside the house where the children were kept with some women wailing and praying for their safe release. The crowd broke open the door of the house to rescue the children, they said. As the accused opened fire, the police retaliated killing him on the spot. A man and two policemen also suffered bullet injuries.

After being asked for his demands, the accused Subhash Batham had handed over a letter in which he had alleged that he was not getting a toilet and house from the government even after repeated attempts. He was denied the free toilet under Swatch Bharat Mission and a house under PM Awas Yojna by the village head and even senior officials were not paying any heed to his request. The letter in possession of News18 is addressed to the District Magistrate and elaborates on how Subhash was being denied toilet and house under government schemes.