A shocking incident has emerged from Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi district, where a younger brother has been accused of killing his own elder brother by setting him on fire over a land dispute. The gruesome incident took place late on Wednesday night (December 24) in Sundarpur Darkha village under the Amethi police station limits.
The victim, who suffered severe burn injuries, died during treatment on Thursday (December 25). Acting on a complaint filed by the victim’s sister-in-law, police have registered a case under serious sections of law and initiated further investigation and legal proceedings.
What Happened That Night?
According to the police complaint, Ram Sajeevan Gupta, son of Rajaram Gupta, was sleeping in a thatched hut located about 100 metres from his house on the night of December 24. At around 9:30 pm, the hut suddenly caught fire. By the time villagers managed to control the blaze after considerable effort, Ram Sajeevan had sustained critical burn injuries.
Family members rushed him to the district hospital, from where doctors referred him to a trauma centre due to his critical condition. Ram Sajeevan succumbed to his injuries during treatment on Thursday.
Allegations Of Being Burnt Alive
In her written complaint, Phoolpati Devi, wife of Kalika Prasad Gupta and sister-in-law of the deceased, alleged that Ram Sajeevan’s own brother Jagannath Gupta and his sons Sachin Gupta and Satish Gupta deliberately set fire to the thatched hut as part of a pre-planned attack driven by a long-standing land dispute.
She claimed that as the fire spread rapidly, Ram Sajeevan was trapped inside and suffered severe burns. While raising an alarm and trying to escape, he ran out of the hut. On hearing his cries, Phoolpati Devi rushed to the spot and allegedly saw the accused fleeing towards their house.
Victim’s Family Background
With the help of family members and villagers, the critically injured man was taken by ambulance to the district hospital in Gauriganj and later referred to the Lucknow Trauma Centre, where he died during treatment. The complainant stated that there had been multiple instances of altercations between the families earlier due to the land dispute.
Ram Sajeevan’s wife had died six months ago, after which he was living alone with his four-year-old son. On the day of the incident, the child was visiting his maternal uncle’s house and was not present at home, narrowly escaping the fire.
Police Action So Far
Amethi Kotwali in-charge Inspector Ravi Kumar Singh said that based on the complaint, an FIR was registered on Friday (December 26) against three named accused under relevant sections. He added that one of the accused has been taken into custody for questioning, and further investigation is underway.