A 25-year-old ice-cream seller was allegedly murdered in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district on Saturday following a dispute with a local resident, police said.
The incident occurred in Parsawal village, where the victim, identified as Bablu, had gone to sell ice cream as part of his daily routine. During his visit, he got into a verbal altercation with a 50-year-old man, identified as Shankar Yadav, NDTV reported.
The dispute began when Yadav objected to Bablu selling ice cream in the area. When the victim refused, an argument started, which eventually led to his killing.
According to police, the argument escalated quickly, after which the accused allegedly attacked Bablu with a sickle, leading to his death in public view.
Police said the accused then left the scene and went to his residence in the same village. The 50-year-old carried the severed head to his house and began cooking food for himself as if nothing had happened, NDTV reported.
Investigation Underway
Upon receiving information, a police team led by Superintendent of Police Arpit Vijayvargiya rushed to the village and cordoned off the area. When officers reached the accused's house, they found him inside and took him into custody.
The police recovered key evidence from the premises and seized the weapon used in the crime.
Superintendent of Police Arpit Vijayvargiya told India Today that the accused appeared to be mentally unstable and carried out the killing over a minor dispute linked to the sale of ice cream.
The body has been sent for post-mortem examination, and further investigation is ongoing to determine the exact cause of the dispute and sequence of events.
Bablu, the eldest of three brothers, supported his family through manual labour and selling ice cream. He is survived by his wife and two young children, who are reported to be in deep distress following the incident.
Police said further details will emerge as the investigation progresses.