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On Wednesday, several leaders from the state’s ruling BJP visited the family. Sangeeta, the boys’ mother who runs a beauty parlour from her home, could only mumble in response to their condolences and assurances.

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A plea to not “encounter” the brother of the man who killed his two sons is the only request Vinod Kumar feels he can make.

A day back, his sons Ayush Pratap (13) and Aahan Pratap (6) were killed, allegedly by a barber, Sajid, in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun district. Police said they killed Sajid, 30, in an “encounter” two hours later and that his brother Javed, also alleged to be involved in the case, is absconding.

On Wednesday, Kumar was trying to come to terms with the violence that tore through his family. “Police must not ‘encounter’ the second person who is absconding. He must be arrested and should be asked why they did such things to us? Why me? What was the reason? After this, the police can do whatever they want. What harm had those little children done? Bachche toh bas khelna-kudna aur school jana jante hain… I am helpless, I cannot do anything, I am just trying to come to terms with what has happened,” he said while trying to attend to his wife, Sangeeta, who drifts in and out of consciousness.

The killings took place at around 7.30 pm in Baba Colony, just around 500 metres from the Badaun SSP office. Police have not yet ascertained the reason behind the murder.

On Wednesday, several leaders from the state’s ruling BJP visited the family. Sangeeta, the boys’ mother who runs a beauty parlour from her home, could only mumble in response to their condolences and assurances.

Kumar, a contractor in Lakhimpur Kheri district, said his family had no enmity with anyone.

“It was a busy day for me, I could not talk to children in the morning, so they called me in the afternoon around 1 pm. Aahan was very happy. He said, ‘Papa, I have bought clothes and shoes’. I wanted to talk to them later. Lekin ye ghatana ho gayi, bachchon se baat hi khatam ho gayi (But then this incident happened, now there is no way to talk to them),” said the 42-year-old as he entered his house after completing the last rites of his two sons.

His mother, 65-year-old Munni Devi, said Sajid had come to her house seeking money. “He said he needed Rs 5,000 for medical expenses so that he could take his pregnant wife to the hospital. We gave him the money. My daughter-in-law asked him to have tea before he left and went to the kitchen. In the meantime, he took Ayush upstairs on the pretext of seeing the parlour Sangeeta runs. He took him to the roof instead and killed him. Later, when Aahan arrived with a glass of water, he killed him too. It was Piyush (8), the second son, who saw him attacking his brothers. Sajid tried to grab him, but he managed to escape,” said Devi, who works in the Home Guards Department.

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Devi said she and her daughter-in-law immediately closed the gate, raised an alarm, and informed police.

“Because the police chowki is just 200 metres away, police arrived immediately and nabbed the attacker. Javed was standing outside on a motorcycle, he fled the spot. Did we do anything wrong by helping a person? All the people in the colony used to get their hair cut from his shop. Those two used to call him bhaiyya (brother) and get their hair cut. How can he do something like this to those children,” said Devi. She demanded that the second accused person, Javed, be nabbed and interrogated about their motive.

Even the accused’s family said they were searching for answers.

“Someone has called and implicated him in the case. He had a very good relationship with that family. He has been running a barber shop there for about 12 years. He used to go to their house during festivals and used to eat together. When police caught him, they should have at least asked why he did this,” said Naazreen, Sajid’s mother, at her house in Sakhanu village, 14 kilometres away from the spot of the killing.

Naazreen said she used to take him to a dargah for around 9 years as he was “not well mentally”.

“When he improved and was at peace, I brought him back home from the dargah. After that I got him married. He had two children but they died. Yesterday, he had left home happily,” said the woman.

Naazreen said her younger son Javed did not accompany Sajid.

Both have been booked under IPC Sections 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder).

“Law and order is normal. There is no problem in the city. Deployments have been made everywhere. Sajid had run away after the incident, the people tried to nab him. The police laid siege and he died in retaliatory firing. Javed has also been named in the complaint given by the family. We are searching for him. No criminal history of the accused has been found yet. The motive is being ascertained,” said SSP Badaun Alok Priyadarshi.

With direct inputs from Indian Express!