Now Reading: Kasganj police end 18-hour standoff after retired constable locks self with grandson
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Kasganj police end 18-hour standoff after retired constable locks self with grandson
Kasganj police end 18-hour standoff after retired constable locks self with grandson
An 18-hour standoff in Kasganj ended peacefully at 4:30 am on Wednesday after retired head constable Baburam Rajput, 67, unlocked his house, freeing his 13-year-old grandson Digvijay Singh. The crisis began at 10 am on Tuesday when Rajput, fearing his son Avinash would take the boy to Jaipur, locked himself inside with the child and a licensed firearm. Police received a Dial 112 alert from Avinash and rushed an SDM, circle officer, and personnel to the scene.
Negotiators convinced Rajput that his son and daughter-in-law had left for Jaipur, after which he opened the door. Superintendent of police OP Singh said the priority was the boy's safety and that plainclothes officers were stationed outside through the night. Digvijay sent discreet text messages during the confinement to assure authorities he was safe. Rajput, who retired in 2019, lost a son to a road accident in 2009 and his wife to Covid in 2021.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The case echoes a pattern of elderly veterans struggling with empty-nest grief after personal loss, but an armed standoff with a minor involved turns a family dispute into a law-and-order crisis. Under Section 8 of the Indian Arms Act, a licensed firearm can be revoked if the holder poses a safety risk, a decision now resting with the district magistrate. The 13-year-old’s ability to text authorities from inside the house raises questions about crisis-response protocols for such hybrid hostage scenarios. No charges have been filed yet, but police have recorded the son’s complaint and are likely to file a psychological evaluation report within a week.
Source: hindustantimes.com
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