This is the story of a man who could neither forgive nor forget. Rahul Kumar was just eight years old when his father, Satyabhan, was murdered by Jaiveer, a close friend. Jaiveer, a farmer, was arrested and sentenced to life in prison, but he walked out on bail in 2021 and resumed his life without realizing the weight of his past.
Fifteen years after that tragic day, Rahul, now 24, had not forgotten. He spent four years carefully gaining Jaiveer’s trust, waiting for the perfect moment to exact his revenge. Earlier this month, he finally pulled the trigger, shocking no one in his village in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district.
Manglaura, a Jaat-dominated village with fewer than a hundred homes, is situated between Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Most houses are well-built with courtyards, and families typically own small plots of farmland and buffaloes. Dusty, winding roads lead deeper into the close-knit community.
The Jhanjhna police station, responsible for the area, is over 20 kilometers away. Approaching the village, one is greeted by expansive sugarcane fields, common in a region known as the sugar bowl of western UP. At a bridge crossing through the village, police report that Rahul, known as Chhotu, allegedly killed Jaiveer nearby.
Evening gatherings often see men sharing chillums on their porches, mixing conversations of everyday life with reflections on violence, which seems woven into the fabric of village life. Sanjeev Singh, Rahul’s uncle, reflects, “We live just a few houses apart. When we heard Jaiveer was getting out of jail, his family offered him to us, asking us to do what we deemed right. We refused, believing he had served his time and no more bloodshed was necessary.”
He confides, “We used to eat and work together, thinking we would forget the past. It was only later that we realized Rahul seldom spoke to Jaiveer.” He recalls the night of Satyabhan’s death, explaining that both men had been drunk and engaged in a reckless joke that ended tragically.
Nawab Singh, another family member, adds that they once believed Jaiveer had changed, tending to his fields quietly after his release. But a year ago, old grievances resurfaced when Rahul’s mother demanded repayment from a neighbor, Bablu, who had turned into a local bully. Tensions escalated, leading to confrontations and intimidation from Bablu, who taunted Rahul about befriending his father’s killer.
After years of simmering tensions and the return of violent threats, the inevitable confrontation occurred on October 4. That day, Rahul left home, fed the buffaloes, and returned to the fields, ultimately shooting Jaiveer on the same road where his father had died.
Rahul was arrested after a week on the run, caught in a shootout with police. Authorities say he confessed to killing Jaiveer to avenge his father’s murder, claiming he has no regrets about his actions. Shamli Superintendent of Police Narendra Pratap Singh notes that this act is the culmination of an old feud that began with a drunken quarrel years ago, underscoring the cycle of violence deeply entrenched in the community.
With guns readily available, local blacksmiths manufacture country-made pistols from scrap parts. Singh explains how these homemade weapons, costing little over 500 rupees to make, contribute to the region’s ongoing violence.
Even after Jaiveer’s death, members of both families were seen socializing as if nothing had happened, a testament to the village’s desensitization towards violence. For the residents of Manglaura, such incidents are mere occurrences, as common as discussions about crop yields. As one local puts it, “Guns here are as common as buffaloes.”
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/he-was-8-when-his-father-was-killed-15-years-later-in-ups-shamli-he-took-revenge-10313594/
Category: Cities,Lucknow
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Publish Date: 2025-10-18 08:00:00
