Bodies of four family members – an elderly couple, their daughter and a man – were recovered from a locked house in the South Malaka area on Tuesday afternoon, sending shockwaves through Prayagraj. Police suspect the murders were committed two to three days ago.
The crime came to light when residents reported a strong smell from a house near the South Malaka crossing on Hewett Road, opposite the railway overbridge. Acting on a complaint, Kotwali police reached the spot and broke open the lock of the channel gate to enter the premises.
During the search, police recovered the bodies of 70-year-old Virendra Kumar Vaishya and his 65-year-old wife, Anita from one room on the first floor of the house. The body of their 40-year-old unmarried daughter, Meenakshi, was found in another room on the same floor.
A fourth body was later discovered inside a colour lab shop on the ground floor of the building. The victim’s face had been badly disfigured with chemicals in an apparent attempt to conceal his identity. Police suspect the deceased may be Virendra’s elder son, 38-year-old Abhishek, although formal identification is yet to be confirmed.
Preliminary investigations indicate that all four victims may have been attacked with a heavy, blunt object, resulting in fatal head injuries. Neighbours told investigators that the family was last seen on Sunday morning, leading police to believe that the murders took place at least two – three days ago. The assailants are suspected to have locked the premises from outside before fleeing.
Police officials said Virendra had reportedly severed ties with his younger son, Ashwini, several years ago. Investigators are also examining reports of a property dispute within the family.
Senior police officers, including police commissioner Joginder Kumar, additional police commissioner Ajay Pal Sharma and DCP (City) Manish Shandilya, visited the crime scene. Forensic experts and a dog squad were also deployed to assist in the investigation.
“Prima facie, it appears the murders were committed two to three days ago. Three teams have been constituted to ascertain the motive behind the killings. A thorough investigation is being carried out from every possible angle,” said Ajay Pal Sharma.
According to the police, Virendra lived on the first floor with his wife, daughter and son. The ground floor of the building houses around 14 shops, including a gift shop operated by Meenakshi and a colour lab run by Abhishek, while the remaining shops had been rented out.
