Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday lauded Uttar Pradesh Police for safely rescuing all children, who were held hostage at Farrukhabad, with their efficient strategy and planning.
"It is laudable that Uttar Pradesh Police with its efficient strategy and planning safely rescued all the children, who were held hostage at Farrukhabad," said Shah on Twitter in Hindi.
The Home Minister further congratulated Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the police administration for having successfully carried out the operation.
During the rescue operation, the man was shot dead for holding children as hostages. Later, his wife also died after being brutally thrashed by villagers earlier today, police said. After being beaten up by the locals, the woman was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition. However, she succumbed to her injuries."When we sent her to the hospital, she was injured. She sustained injuries on her head. Her head was bleeding. As police killed her husband (the accused in the case), she tried to flee. As the children were kept hostage by both husband and wife, the villagers, in a fit of rage, pelted stones and bricks at her," Mohit Aggrawal, Inspector General Kanpur, told media."Postmortem report will clear everything, further details on the cause of death will only come out after the report," the IG said.
Earlier in the morning, more than 15 children who were held hostage at a house in Farrukhabad were safely evacuated by police.
Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary Home Awsh Kumar Awasthi said that Adityanath has announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for the Uttar Pradesh Police and its team that successfully carried out the operation.
"All personnel who took part in the operation will be given a certificate of appreciation," Awasthi said.
On Thursday, Farrukhabad Police had said that more than 15 children were held hostage at a house. Following this, the Chief Minister convened a high-level meeting over the incident.
Uttar Pradesh ADG Law and Order PV Ramashastry had said that the accused had been sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case and he was out on bail.
"He had called the children on the pretext of a birthday party and held them hostage. He opened fire on villagers," he had said.
( With inputs from ANI )