Lucknow horror: Blaring television, traffic noise masked gunshots, say neighbours

Residents said they did not hear the gunshots despite multiple rounds being fired inside the house. They learnt about the incident only after seeing a WhatsApp status

The sound of the Hanuman Chalisa playing on a television inside the house, coupled with heavy traffic noise outside, may have masked the gunshots when Manas Bajpai killed his sister and himself at his residence at Husadiya crossing on Thursday, neighbours said.

The second incident spot near Husadiya crossing in Lucknow, where the man fled after allegedly shooting his wife and then killed his sister and himself. (Deepak Gupta/HT)

Residents said they did not hear the gunshots despite multiple rounds being fired inside the house. They learnt about the incident only after seeing a WhatsApp status posted by Manas and being called by well-wishers who saw the story.

Luv Kush, who runs a restaurant from the same premises, said he was first alerted by a friend who called him after seeing the WhatsApp status.

“After seeing the WhatsApp status, one of his friends called me and asked what had happened. Soon after, his maternal uncle’s son also reached the house. We knocked on the door and rang the bell several times, but there was no response,” he said.

The group then went to the terrace to check if anyone was inside. When they could not see anyone, they broke open the door and found the occupants unconscious, Luv Kush said.

“We first saw the WhatsApp status and got the information. We called Manas, but he did not answer.

His maternal uncle’s son then arrived and we broke open the door together. We found them dead, with a pistol lying nearby,” he said.

Ankur said they initially tried to contact Bajpai’s wife as they were unaware of what had happened inside the house.

“It was only after the police arrived that we came to know that she had been killed first,” he said. Both neighbours said the house’s location along a busy road meant there was considerable noise outside. Ankur added that when they entered the house, the Hanuman Chalisa was playing on the television.

“Hanuman Chalisa was playing on the TV, due to which the sound of the gunshots was not heard,” he said.

Neighbours described Manas Bajpai as a polite person who would regularly greet them. However, Ankur said he appeared disturbed in recent months over his sister’s treatment and a long-standing marital dispute.