Noida: A man, whose marriage proposal was rejected thrice, allegedly climbed on to the terrace of a house in Harola and stabbed a family in their sleep, killing a 40-year-old woman and grievously injuring her husband and two daughters.Police said the accused, enraged after the family repeatedly refused his proposal for the elder daughter, struck around 1.30am on Sunday before roaming the building with a knife and shouting at anyone who came near.The attack took place on the terrace of a four-storey building in Sector 5, where the family had been sleeping. Sanju Devi died after being taken to a private hospital in Sector 27. Her husband, Surendra Sharma (43), and daughters Jyoti (20) and Julie (17) are undergoing treatment.According to police, the accused, Harpal (26), lives in the same area and runs an AC repair shop nearby. “Initial inquiry shows the attack resulted from an alleged love affair. Over the past year, Harpal sent a marriage proposal for Jyoti more than thrice, but her family rejected it each time,” said Manisha Singh, ADCP.Police said Jyoti’s marriage was fixed elsewhere, but the alliance collapsed after Harpal allegedly created a scene. “He proposed again and began pressuring the family to agree, but they refused. It appears he attacked them in that rage,” Singh said.Sanju was stabbed multiple times in the throat. Surendra, who tried to save the family, was attacked on the left side of his neck. Jyoti suffered a stab wound to the shoulder, while Julie was injured on the leg. “The girls raised an alarm, but by then Sanju had already been stabbed repeatedly,” the officer said.The family lived on rent in the building, where Surendra worked as caretaker and also as a carpenter. Jyoti worked in a factory as a tailor. The building, owned by Rajkumar, has more than 100 rooms. Harpal had earlier lived there, but had recently shifted to his shop.Police said he reached the terrace by climbing through an adjoining house and crossing over from its roof. After the attack, residents said, he remained in the building compound for some time, waving the knife and shouting.Three police teams have been formed to trace him. “We are in the process of registering an FIR. CCTV footage is being scanned and his criminal record is being checked,” the ADCP said.
