Masked men kill farmer during midnight robbery in Shravasti

Lucknow: A 49-year-old farmer was brutally murdered by masked robbers who stormed his home in the early hours of Monday. The assailants allegedly stabbed him to death in front of his son before fleeing with gold and silver jewellery worth lakhs of rupees.The incident took place in Bhajore Purwa village, under the jurisdiction of Hardatt Nagar Girant police station, about 30km from Shravasti district headquarters. Family members said four masked men forcibly entered the house at around 3am.
The victim, Nemraj Pathak (49), was sleeping when he heard suspicious sounds and woke up. Sensing danger, he raised an alarm and confronted the intruders. Hearing the commotion, his son Sunil, who was sleeping in another room with his wife Lakshmi, rushed out to see what was happening. However, the robbers allegedly overpowered and restrained him. The attackers stabbed Nemraj multiple times in front of his son. Lakshmi, terrified by the violence, hid under the bed in her room to save her life.Recounting the ordeal, Lakshmi said, "When I heard my father-in-law screaming, my husband went to check. The robbers caught hold of him. I panicked and hid under the bed. From there, I saw four pairs of feet. They killed my father-in-law in front of my husband." Once they left, Lakshmi came out of hiding and raised an alarm, alerting neighbours, who then informed the police.SP Rahul Bhati reached the spot along with a police team. "An FIR was registered against four unidentified robbers on charges of murder and robbery based on a complaint filed by the victim's son," said Bhati, adding that CCTV cameras installed in nearby areas are being scanned."We are investigating all possible angles," the SP said, adding that police personnel were deployed in the village.