VARANASI: A series of three brutal killings within 24 hours sent shockwaves through Chandauli district on Monday. The victims were murdered in cold blood, and police have identified the suspect as a former serviceman who appeared mentally disturbed. The accused, Gurpreet Singh, 45, a native of Tarn Taran, Punjab, was apprehended by an auto driver after allegedly killing a woman patient in a private hospital. However, during a crime scene recreation near Kuchhman railway station, he snatched a policeman's firearm and opened fire. In retaliatory firing, Singh sustained a bullet injury and died later, confirmed Varanasi range DIG Vaibhav Krishna.
Details of the Killings
The first murder occurred on Sunday morning when Singh boarded the PDDU–Tarighat passenger train. He engaged in a verbal duel with fellow passenger Mangru (34) of Ghazipur, shot him point-blank, and threw his body onto the railway tracks. Amid the chaos, Singh jumped off the train as it slowed near Sakaldiha and escaped.
Hours later, around 1:35 am on Monday, Singh boarded the S2 coach of the 13151 Kolkata–Jammu Tawi Express. He shot Dinesh Shah (42) of Gaya near the washroom. Shah was traveling with his family. Passengers alerted the train staff, and the body was removed at Varanasi Junction for legal formalities.
After fleeing the train, Singh wandered on foot and reached Jeevak Hospital in Kamalapur early Monday. He registered as a patient under the name Virendra (45). Later, he moved to a ward and allegedly shot a woman patient, Laxmina (55) of Bhabhua, Bihar, at point-blank range, killing her instantly. He fired another round as he exited the hospital, then attempted to escape on a motorcycle. An auto driver chased him down and caught him; locals began thrashing him until police arrived and rescued him.
Police Investigation and Confession
During interrogation, Singh confessed to all three murders. Police seized a revolver and a sawed-off double-barrel gun from his possession. Investigators noted that Singh appeared psychologically disturbed, possibly aggravated by alcoholism. He became aggressive during questioning and admitted to killing randomly without apparent motive.
Singh had served in the Army but left in 2021. On April 29, he left Punjab for Ara, Bihar, to join a security guard job, though he could not provide details. He left for Prayagraj on May 9 by train and later reached PDDU Junction in Chandauli.
SP GRP Prashant Verma monitored the investigation. A constable from the police and one from GRP suffered bullet injuries to their hands when Singh opened fire during the crime scene recreation. The DIG stated that Singh's death occurred after he attempted to escape and fired at police.
