Hostage-taker in India shot dead at fake childrens party

A man who arranged a fake birthday party for his one-year-old daughter, then held more than 20 children hostage, has been shot dead by police.

Local media identified the man as Subhash Batham – saying he was accused of murder but out on bail.

His stand-off with police lasted 10 hours, during which officers tried to negotiate with him.

When police entered the building by force, the man was killed in a shootout.

All of the hostageswere brought to safety.

Batham invited children from his village in Uttar Pradesh's Farrukhabad district to a birthday party for his daughter.

He then held everybody – including his wife and daughter – hostage in the building.

Only one six-month old girl was allowed out, when Batham handed her to a neighbour from a balcony, seven hours into the hostage-taking.

When neighbours alerted authorities and police arrived at the scene, he began shooting from the house.

"On learning that he had firing capabilities and after his bomb-threats, all senior police officials decided to attack him," said Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Om Prakash Singh.

"We tried entering the house…Subhash was killed during the encounter."

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