Political Tensions Rise in Ayodhya Following Death of Firing Victim’s Mother

Swami Prasad Maurya leads protest outside KGMU mortuary as police search for remaining suspects

Political dimensions emerged around the Kandaila firing case in Ayodhya on Tuesday following the death of 65-year-old Parvati Devi while receiving treatment at King George’s Medical University in Lucknow. Parvati Devi had sustained critical injuries during an August 25 assault as she and her 45-year-old son, Ram Lagan Maurya, traveled home on a motorcycle. Ram Lagan Maurya was killed in the initial attack, which involved hurled explosives and multiple gunshots near their home.

The sequence of violence originated from a prolonged land dispute separating Ram Lagan and Vijay Bhan Singh, who is also known as Dabbu Singh. Multiple injuries resulted from a March 2 clash between the factions, and Suraj Bhan Singh subsequently died on July 19 after being hospitalized from that altercation. Another legal case was initiated after Vijay Bhan Singh allegedly reported being shot near Barwa village on July 26.

Following Parvati Devi’s passing, former minister Swami Prasad Maurya organized a sit-in protest outside the KGMU mortuary. Law enforcement officials have registered a case at the Pura Kalander police station under sections including 103 and 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, confirming that six people have been arrested and imprisoned while search operations continue for fugitives. 

Three named suspects—Vijay Bhan Singh, Meera Singh, and Vijay Pratap Singh—are still at large. The Ayodhya Senior Superintendent of Police has established a cash reward of ₹25,000 for each of these three absconding individuals.

During the hospital demonstration, Maurya criticized the local administration and police forces for not apprehending the remaining suspects. He claimed the fugitives were roaming freely and issuing threats to the bereaved family, while also threatening a broader protest movement and announcing plans to take the family to meet the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police.