30-year-old bludgeons his in-laws with a brick, 3 dead, 2 injured

The police arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly bludgeoning his father-in-law and two brothers-in-law to death and injured two others with a brick in northeast Delhi’s Nand Nagri on Tuesday.

The police arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly bludgeoning his father-in-law and two brothers-in-law to death and injured two others with a brick in northeast Delhi’s Nand Nagri on Tuesday.

Family members mourn the death of their relatives in Nand Nagri on Tuesday. (Sonu Mehta/HT)

Rajesh, a mason, repeatedly smashed a brick on his in-laws faces and head, while they were sleeping on the terrace of their three storey house.

According to the police, Rajesh attacked his five relatives over not getting a good share in the family property as compared to the other two sons-in-law. Ram Kishan (62), Raju (29) and Kiran Pal (32) died on the spot, while Tarun (30) and Karan (16) sustained severe injuries.

Rajesh, who lives in Alwar, Rajasthan, was staying at is in-laws home with his wife and children since Saturday.

On Tuesday, Rajesh woke up around midnight, picked up a brick and attacked five members of his wife’s family who were sleeping beside him on the terrace. He then jumped to the adjacent terrace and climbed down to the balcony of the first floor from where he then jumped to reach the ground. In the process, he hurt his leg and could not escape.

A neighbor, who saw him sitting on the ground, raised an alarm thinking he was a thief. The locals then woke up and saw Rajesh sitting on the ground, shaking.

“The locals had no idea that he had murdered three people. They thought that he fell from the terrace in his sleep. Instead of cornering him, the locals helped him get up and called for his father-in-law, who was inside. Since he did not respond, the locals became suspicious and went to the terrace to check if he was fine,” a senior police officer said.

“When we went to the terrace to call Ram Kishan, we were shocked to find five men of the house bleeding profusely. While three of them were dead, two were still breathing. We rushed them to the hospital and also informed the police,” S Raju, a neighbour said.

Pappu, another local said, “Everyone’s faces had been brutally disfigured with a sharp object. Their clothes and bed covers were drenched in blood.”

The neighbours then handed over Rajesh to the police. Police have registered a case of murder and arrested Rajesh.

Neighbours told HT that Rajesh is short-tempered. “He is unpredictable and stubborn. When angry, he does not know what he is doing,” said Girver, a relative. “Two years ago, Rajesh’s nephew was seriously injured after Rajesh locked him in a room and crushed his hands with a heavy object.”

Police said that Rajesh’s in-laws were financially sound and had recently bought a property.