India, Sept. 23 -- The family of Arvind Singh - who killed his wife, two priests and one of his three children in Azamgarh on Tuesday - claimed that he was under the "influence of a ghost" and used to consume a lot of alcohol, police said.

However, a priest who was present at the scene and managed to escape told the police that the ritual was linked to concerns in the family that the soul of Singh's elder brother, who died two years ago, was not in peace.

On Tuesday night, Singh shot dead his wife, two priests and one of his three children before he was shot by police. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause.

The incident unfolded in Shambhupur village under Ahraula police station around 6 pm on Tuesday when Singh all...