In a shocking incidence, five members of a family were allegedly shot by a Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable in Barkakana under Barkakana police outpost of Ramgarh District on Saturday, late evening. Of the five who were shot, three succumbed to injuries while two others are undergoing treatment.

Following the incident, irate residence of the area blocked Ramgarh-Bhurkunda road on Sunday morning demanding immediate arrest of the accused and compensation for the aggrieved family. As a result of the protest, all the shops in the Station Road area were closed since Sunday morning.

The accused, an RPF Constable Pawan Singh, was deputed at Barkakana Railway Station and was a residence of Gandhinagar Railway colony under Barkakana OP. Meanwhile the victim, Ashok Ram, the resident of the same locality, was employed as a porter at Bhurkunda Railway Station and used to sell milk as a side business.

Ramgarh Superintendent of Police (SP), Prabhat Kumar informed that the accused used to regularly buy milk from Asok Ram.

On Saturday evening around at 8 pm Singh went to Ram’s house to buy milk, but Ram refused to give him any milk claiming that he ran out of stock. A verbal spat took place between the two following which Singh returned home.  After a while, he returned to Ram’s house and shot him with his service revolver.

“Hearing the gunshot, Ram’s wife Lila Devi and their three children, a pregnant daughter Mina Devi, son Sanjay Ram and daughter Suman Kumari rushed out and were shot by Singh as well.  The neighbours admitted them to a local hospital where Ram, his wife and his elder daughter died during treatment. His younger daughter and son were referred to Rajendra Institute Medical Science (RIMS) and are undergoing treatment,” said Kumar.

Priyanka Kumari, Ram’s youngest daughter who was also at the home but did not stepped out of the house was saved. She informed that like every day Singh came to buy milk on Saturday in an inebriated condition and became violent when her father said he cannot give milk as they are out of stock.

 “After that Singh become angry and started abusing my father. He went home but returned after a while and shot everyone in sight,” she added.