Farrukhabad hostage drama ends; UP police rescue kids and women, accused killed

After a nine-hour hostage drama, the UP police rescued all the 24 children held hostage by a murder accused in Farrukhabad. The women who were held captive were released too while the person who had held the women and children hostage was killed by the police. The murder accused has been shot dead, said IG Kanpur Range Mohit Agarwal.

Earlier in the day, a murder accused on bail had taken 23 kids hostage along witg a few women. The incident was reported from Karthiya village of Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh (UP). The ATS was rushed to the spot.

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath called for an emergency meeting to take stock of the situation. IG Range Kanpur too was at the hostage site reviewing the situation.

Additional Director General of Police P V Rama Shastri said, “Twenty children are being held hostage at Kathariya village." We are ensuring their safe rescue. If needed, NSG (National Security Guard) will also be called for the operation, said the DGP.

The man who is holding kids hostage was said to be a murder-accused and fired from inside to shoo away parents who came to get their children.

Among the hostages were the man's wife and his one-year-old daughter. The police begun negotiations with the man, who had been identified as Subhash Batham.

The entire hostage drama lasted for nine hours in UP's Farrukhabad.

Police said that Batham invited a few kids to his house saying he was celebrating his daughter's birthday. However, he soon held them at gunpoint after everyone had assembled inside his house.

Neighbours complained to the police after they heard fire shots.