Lucknow, August 20 (TNA) A State Bank of India (SBI) employee allegedly shot dead his wife and sister in two separate locations before turning the gun on himself, in a chilling murder-suicide that unfolded in Lucknow's Gomti Nagar police station area on Thursday afternoon.
The accused, identified as Manas Bajpai (35), an accountant with SBI, first drove to the ICICI Bank branch where his wife, Divya Mishra (33), worked as an Assistant Manager. According to police, he called her and asked her to step outside the office. The two spoke briefly, after which he shot her and fled the scene.
Second Shooting at His Residence
Manas then drove roughly two kilometres to his rented house near Husadiya Chauraha, Bajpai, where he lived with his 28-year-old sister, Seeba. Eyewitnesses said he appeared drenched in sweat when he arrived. Once inside, he locked the door of the room, shot his sister, and then shot himself.
Neighbours, alerted by the sound of gunfire, rushed to the house and broke down the door. Inside, they found the blood-soaked bodies of the brother and sister. A television set inside the room was reportedly playing the Hanuman Chalisa at high volume at the time.
Police and Forensic Teams at the Scene
Senior police officials reached the spot soon after being informed of the incident, and a forensic team has been examining the scene. The exact motive behind the killings has not yet been established, police said.
Background of the Couple
Divya Mishra, who was married to Manas twelve years ago, had no children. She was the sister of YouTuber Pragya Mishra. A year ago, Divya had filed a plea in court seeking divorce from Manas, following which she had been living separately in the Alambagh area of Lucknow. Manas, meanwhile, had been living with his sister Seeba in a rented house near Husadiya Chauraha; his parents are no longer alive.
Police are continuing their investigation into the sequence of events and the circumstances that led to the killings.