Ghaziabad: A 47-year-old man allegedly slit the throats of his wife and 16-year-old daughter at their fourth-floor flat in Lokpriya Vihar of Khoda on Friday night after the wife repeatedly urged him to take his depression medication.He also attacked their younger daughter (14), who escaped with injuries after neighbours overpowered him and snatched the knife.The accused, Mohammad Raja Ansari, originally from Madihar in Bihar’s Araria district, has since been arrested. Ansari works as an accountant at a meat shop in Ghazipur Mandi. The victims were identified as Baby Tabassum Ansari (43), Sana (16) and Zoya (14). The family had been living at the flat for three years. Ansari and Baby married in 2002.According to police, the family had dinner and went to bed around 10pm. Before sleeping, Baby reminded Ansari to take his medicines. He refused, and an argument broke out when she insisted again.Around 11.30pm, Ansari got up, went to the kitchen and picked up a large knife. He allegedly attacked Baby in her sleep, inflicting a fatal throat injury.Hearing her mother’s screams, Sana entered the room and tried to hide under a staircase, but Ansari spotted her. As she ran towards her mother, he struck her abdomen with the knife, then allegedly dragged her by the hair, tilted her head back and slit her throat. She collapsed at the spot.Zoya arrived next and was also attacked, the knife striking her hip. She managed to run to the main door and open it. Two neighbours standing outside rushed in on hearing the commotion, overpowered Ansari and snatched the knife, restraining him until police arrived.All three were taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared Baby and Sana dead. Zoya, who was treated for her injuries, is stated to be out of danger.Police registered a case against Ansari under sections 103(1) (murder) and 109(1) (attempt to murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, based on Zoya’s complaint. During questioning, Ansari said he killed his wife over her insistence that he take his medicines, and then decided to kill his daughters because he believed he would be jailed after his wife’s death and feared there would be no one to look after them. He told investigators he had been suffering from depression and undergoing treatment for a long time.“We will verify Ansari’s claim of depression by obtaining his medical records from the concerned hospitals,” Indirapuram ACP Suryabali Maurya said.
