E-Paper
Retd armyman kills wife, son; dies by suicide in UP’s Kanpur
The man allegedly turned his licensed firearm on his wife and their son following a suspected domestic row
A 52-year-old retired armyman, who was a Kargil war veteran, allegedly shot his wife and 16-year-old son dead with a double-barrelled gun at their home here in Sen Pashchim Para area, before dying by suicide on a nearby railway track on Monday morning, police said.
The retired serviceman, a resident of Tulsiyapur’s Nai Basti, allegedly turned his licensed firearm on his 40-year-old wife and their 16-year-old son following a suspected domestic row.
After the killings, the accused reportedly walked out, locked the main gate from the outside to delay discovery, and trekked nearly two kilometres to the railway tracks near Kathogar village where he allegedly jumped before a moving train and died.
The double murder came to light only after the local police, while attempting to identify the body found on the Bhaupur railway tracks, reached the residence of the deceased and found the bodies of his wife and son lying there in a pool of blood.
Meanwhile, additional commissioner of police (law and order) Vipin Tada said a domestic dispute seems to have occurred late on Sunday night, following which the retired soldier allegedly shot his wife. The son is believed to have rushed in after hearing the gunshot and was also shot.
The ACP further said that, prima facie, the case appears to be a murder-suicide, but the exact sequence of events will be confirmed only after a detailed investigation.
Forensic experts and senior officials reached the spot soon after to collect evidence. Pradeep Singh, SHO, Sen Pashchim Para police station, said, “The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination and we are investigating the motive behind the extreme step. We are looking into all possible angles, including family disputes and potential property-related grievances.”
While no suicide note has been recovered so far, the police are questioning neighbours and relatives to piece together the events leading to the tragedy. (With agency inputs)
