Banker kills wife, sister, and self in Lucknow following divorce dispute

LUCKNOW: A Rs 1.5 crore financial settlement sought by Divya Mishra in her divorce could have been a likely motive behind her murder by her banker husband, Manas Bajpayi, police said as the investigation into the double murder-suicide intensified. Police are also examining strained relations between the couple over Manas’s younger sister, Sheeba, 28, with whom Divya reportedly did not want to live. Police have based their premise on the divorce case hearing in a family court on August 18, where the demand for Rs 1.5 crore in alimony came up. According to the preliminary probe, Manas became distressed after the court hearing and subsequently began preparing for the attack. Police, however, have not officially concluded that the Rs 1.5 crore demand alone was the motive. The financial dispute is being examined alongside the couple’s troubled relationship, allegations of domestic discord and the disagreement over Sheeba.

Couple had been living separately

Manas and Divya had a court marriage in 2017 but had been living separately since November last year after years of marital discord. Divya had filed for divorce in January this year. The couple had no children. According to relatives, their relationship was initially stable, but disputes gradually emerged over domestic and family matters and Divya left home. When Manas’s mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2018, Divya again came back to live with him. Disagreements over Sheeba subsequently intensified. After the death of Manas’s mother in 2019, Divya again moved away. The couple later reconciled, but their relationship deteriorated again over the following years.

Three shootings in one day

Manas, a bank clerk, shot dead Divya, a relationship manager with a private bank, outside her workplace in Gomti Nagar on Thursday afternoon. He then went to his residence near Husadiya Crossing, where he shot dead Sheeba and turned the gun on himself. After reaching home, Manas allegedly locked himself inside the room and switched on the TV at high volume. Police suspect the loud audio may have been intended to mask the sound of gunfire. WhatsApp status under scrutiny After killing Divya and before taking his own life, Manas posted a WhatsApp status claiming that he had killed his wife because she had betrayed him. The message also reportedly stated that he intended to kill himself and his sister and named Divya’s sister, YouTuber Pragya Mishra, and her husband, Bharat. Divya’s cousin Mayank Dixit has denied that Pragya and Bharat had any knowledge of the matters referred to in the message. Police are examining the WhatsApp status, digital records and other electronic evidence to determine whether the allegations made by Manas had any factual basis.

Police examine planned attack

With the recovery of three firearms, CCTV footage showing the attack and the reported two-day surveillance of Divya, police are examining the case as a pre-planned sequence of killings. Police are questioning family members, bank employees, security guards and neighbours and analysing CCTV and digital evidence to establish the precise chain of events and determine what ultimately triggered the killings.