The death toll in Friday's shootout at a criminal-turned-sadhu and his entourage near Allahabad town has risen to eight with two of the injured succumbing to their bullet wounds overnight.
Self-proclaimed sadhu Gyaneshwar Misra and eight others accompanying him were shot at while they were returning after visiting the annual Magh Mela at about 8 pm at Handiya, 40 km from Allahabad.
The sadhu and five associates, including four women, had died instantly.
According to state Principal Home Secretary Alok Sinha, Misra was allegedly involved in the murder of a senior government functionary in Bihar as well as a Bharatiya Janata Party leader in Uttar Pradesh more than a decade ago.
He was facing charges in at least 15 cases of heinous crimes, including eight murders. He had donned saffron robes and declared himself as a holy man.
Ruling out involvement of any militant organisation in the killing, Sinha said it could a retaliatory killing. No arrests have been made so far. Investigations in the case have been entrusted to the state's Special Task Force.