Police detained 12 members of a family near the Lalbatti crossing in Lucknow on Sunday after they were found carrying petrol.
The family was reportedly heading towards the Chief Minister’s residence to commit suicide.
Police officials said they became suspicious due to the group’s behaviour and subsequently took them to Gautampalli police station for questioning. Six of the 12 individuals are minors.
The family is from Asiman village under the Lonarikheda police station area in Unnao. Two members of the family are currently named in an FIR filed by a resident of a neighbouring village, who has accused them of inappropriate conduct towards his minor daughter.
Captain Yadav, a member of the detained family, said they were travelling to the CM’s residence because they felt unsafe in their village. He alleged that a rival family had been targeting them for a long time and had registered false cases against them.
According to him, “We have been repeatedly troubled by our opponents. They have filed several complaints against us. We approached officials multiple times, but no action was taken.”
He added that the family carried petrol because they had been under severe distress and decided to self-immolate themselves in front of the CM’s residence.
According to the FIR lodged by the girl’s father, the incident took place on November 21 at around 4 pm while he and his family were working in their fields. His daughter had gone nearby when she was allegedly approached by two youths from the neighbouring village. The girl raised an alarm, after which her family rushed to the spot, and the youths reportedly left the area.
The complainant stated that after informing another villager, a group of people arrived at the location, and an argument broke out. He alleged that the situation escalated into a physical confrontation involving several individuals from the opposing family. He also claimed that his mobile phone went missing in the commotion.
Local residents eventually intervened to separate the groups. The complainant said he called the emergency helpline from another phone and alleged that the opposite side had contacted a local leader, after which the police who initially arrived left without taking any action. He later contacted senior officers and filed a formal FIR.
Police are questioning the detained family regarding the possession of petrol and their alleged attempt to reach the CM’s residence. Authorities are also examining the earlier complaint and the counterclaims made by the detained family. Both matters are currently under investigation.