A 55-year-old real estate agent hacked his wife to death with an axe, severely injured his two adult children with the same weapon and then attempted suicide at their home in south Delhi’s Neb Sarai on Thursday morning, said the police, adding that this was his second attempt at murdering all three in six years.
The man, Vijay Veer, survived the suicide attempt and is being treated in hospital, where his 28-year-old son and 30-year-old daughter are admitted as well, said Chandan Chaudhary, deputy commissioner of police (south).
According to the police, around 6am on Thursday, Veer repeatedly attacked his wife, who was asleep, with the axe. He then went into his childrens’ room and attacked them as well.
“However, they managed to fight back, snatch the axe from him, and bolt themselves in. They then called the police,” said Chaudhary.
Veer then reportedly tried to slit his wrist with a knife, said the police.
When the police arrived at their house after receiving a call at 6.24am, they found the woman, Suman, in a pool of blood with multiple wounds on her back. Their son had injuries to his neck and forehead, and the daughter bore wounds on her neck. All four were rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared Suman dead on arrival.
Veer has been booked for murder and attempted murder. It was unclear if he was inebriated during the assault.
{{/usCountry}}Veer has been booked for murder and attempted murder. It was unclear if he was inebriated during the assault.
{{/usCountry}}He had launched a murderous attack on his family in 2017 as well, Chaudhary said. “In 2017, he shot at them, leaving his son with a gunshot wound. He was booked for attempted murder and jailed. However, legal proceedings in that case were quashed as the family settled the matter among themselves,” she said.
A preliminary police investigation showed that Veer regularly abused his wife physically and mentally since their marriage in 1992, allegedly because her family did not pay any dowry.His behaviour worsened in recent years, said the police, adding that Veer was reportedly involved in several extramarital relationships.
Veer hails from Garh Mukteshwar in Uttar Pradesh but had been living at a relative’s house in Neb Sarai’s Indira Enclave for the past few years, said the DCP.
“He would frequently taunt and torture his wife for her parents not giving her anything in marriage,” said Chaudhary. “His children would side with their mother, and he begrudged them for this.”