Lucknow double murder-suicide twist: Wife's Rs 1.5cr demand may have led to killings

A twist in the double-murder suicide case involving Manas Bajpai and his wife Divya Mishra has emerged, with police suggesting that the Rs 1.5 crore alimony demand in their divorce proceedings might have played a role in the tragedy. The incident took place in Lucknow, where the husband, a bank clerk, shot his wife outside her workplace on Thursday afternoon before proceeding to his residence and killing his sister, Sheeba, before turning the gun on himself. The case is currently under active investigation, with authorities exploring multiple factors including financial disputes, family tensions, and alleged betrayal. The couple, who were married in 2017 through a court marriage, had been living apart since November of last year due to ongoing marital issues. Divya had initiated divorce proceedings in January of this year, citing long-standing conflicts. They had no children together. Relatives described their early years as relatively stable, though disagreements over household responsibilities and family matters eventually led to Divya leaving the home. During this time, Divya returned to live with Manas after his mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2018. However, tensions resurfaced over Sheeba, Manas's younger sister, with whom Divya reportedly had no desire to cohabit. Following the death of Manas’s mother in 2019, Divya once more moved out, and while the couple briefly reconciled, their relationship deteriorated further over subsequent years. The killings occurred in a single day, beginning with Manas shooting Divya outside her workplace in Gomti Nagar. He then traveled to his residence near Husadiya Crossing, where he fatally wounded Sheeba before taking his own life. Upon arriving home, Manas locked himself inside a room and activated the television at a high volume, prompting suspicions that the noise might have been meant to obscure the sounds of gunfire. Prior to committing the act, Manas posted a WhatsApp status alleging that Divya had betrayed him and that he intended to kill both himself and his sister. The message also mentioned Divya’s sister, YouTuber Pragya Mishra, and her husband, Bharat, as potential targets. Divya’s cousin, Mayank Dixit, has refuted claims that Pragya and Bharat were aware of the situation. Investigators are scrutinizing the WhatsApp status, along with digital records and other electronic evidence, to assess the validity of Manas’s assertions. Authorities have recovered three firearms and are reviewing CCTV footage that captured the events leading up to the killings. Additionally, they are analyzing data from a two-day period during which Divya was reportedly under surveillance. As part of their inquiry, police are interviewing family members, bank staff, security personnel, and neighbors to piece together the exact sequence of events. The investigation is focusing on determining what specific factor or combination of factors ultimately prompted the fatal actions. With the case still unfolding, the focus remains on uncovering all relevant details to understand the motivations and circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.