Lucknow: An SBI field officer allegedly shot dead his wife, a relationship manager with ICICI Bank, and his sister before shooting himself at his rented house in Lucknow's Gomti Nagar area on Thursday. The motive behind the killings was not immediately clear, though police recovered a WhatsApp status in which the man accused his wife of cheating on him.
Sequence of events
The incident began when SBI field officer Manas Bajpai, 35, reached the ICICI Bank office in the afternoon and called his wife Divya Mishra, 33, outside. According to preliminary information, the two spoke for some time before Manas allegedly shot Divya and fled the spot.
He then drove about two kilometres to his rented house near Husadiya Chauraha, where he lived with his sister Siba, 28. Witnesses said Manas appeared drenched in sweat when he reached home. He went inside, locked the room and allegedly shot his sister. He then turned the gun on himself.
Hearing gunshots, neighbours reached the house and broke open the door. They found Manas and Siba lying in a pool of blood. A Hanuman Chalisa was playing at high volume on the television inside the room.
Police begin investigation
Police officers, including Lucknow Police Commissioner Tarun Gaba, reached the spot soon after the incident. A forensic team was examining the crime scene and collecting evidence. Police said the exact sequence of events and the motive were being investigated.
According to the WhatsApp status attributed to Manas, he claimed that he had killed his wife because she had allegedly betrayed him. He also mentioned his intention to kill himself and his sister and named Divya's sister Pragya and her husband Bharat Yadav, claiming that they knew about the matter.
Couple lived separately
Divya worked as an assistant manager at ICICI Bank and was posted as a relationship manager. She was the sister of YouTuber Pragya Mishra. Divya and Manas had been married for around 12 years and had no children.
Sources said Divya had filed for divorce in court about a year ago and had been living separately in Alambagh since then.
Manas was posted as a field officer at the SBI Engineering College branch and had been living with his sister in a rented house near Husadiya Chauraha. His parents are no longer alive.
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Evidence under examination
Police are questioning people known to the family and examining the WhatsApp status, CCTV footage and other evidence to establish what led to the killings. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination.
