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WhatsApp reveal, influencer sister's plea: Chilling details in Lucknow double murder-suicide

The deceased ICICI staffer was the sister of famous YouTuber Pragya Mishra, whose channel – Ulta Chashma UC – has over 8.5 million followers. 

Updated on: Aug 20, 2026, 17:43:39 IST
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From a cheating suspicion to a double murder and a suicide, at least three lives were changed forever in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow on Thursday afternoon. A bank employee allegedly shot his wife, an ICICI bank branch's relationship manager, dead in broad daylight in Gomti Nagar. He went on to kill his own sister and then himself.

The husband said in his WhatsApp status that his wife Divya Mishra's sister, YouTuber Pragya Mishra, and her husband "know everything." (Instagram/HT/Deepak Gupta)
The husband said in his WhatsApp status that his wife Divya Mishra's sister, YouTuber Pragya Mishra, and her husband "know everything." (Instagram/HT/Deepak Gupta)

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Amol Murkut told reporters that five police teams have been formed to investigate. He said that CCTV footage and other aspects of the case will also be probed.

ALSO READ | Sedative, electric shocks: Delhi woman kills husband, promised 50 lakh to lover to plot murder

From murdering his wife outside the bank to putting a WhatsApp status revealing the next target before killing self and his sister, shocking details have emerged within just hours of the alleged crime.

Daylight murder in Lucknow | 5 chilling details

  • Waited in auto outside wife's bank: Divya Mishra was working as a relationship banker at ICICI Bank's Gomti Nagar branch in Lucknow. Her husband, Manas Vajpayee -- also a banker -- took an auto rickshaw to her bank on Thursday afternoon and waited for her. He then reportedly called his wife outside, shot her dead, and then fled the spot.
  • WhatsApp status after murder: The accused was still not done after killing his wife. He fled from Gomti Nagar to the Husaria area. He uploaded a status on WhatsApp, saying that he had killed his wife because "she cheated on me." Vajpayee then said that he now had to kill himself and his sister. According to him, his wife's sister, Pragya, and brother-in-law, Bharat, "know everything".
  • Deceased was influencer's sister: Divya Mishra, the deceased ICICI staffer was the sister of Pragya Mishra, a famous influencer and YouTuber with more than 8.5 million subscribers on her channel – ‘Ulta Chashma UC’. Pragya, shortly after Vajpayee shot Divya dead, took to Facebook and said, "I have just received a call that my sister has been shot in Gomti Nagar... I pray to God to save my sister... @UPPolice @lkopolice @dgpup.”
  • Accused shoots sister, then self: After reaching Husaria, Manas Vajpayee met his sister, Sheeba, and shot her dead. He then turned the weapon on himself and pulled the trigger. The exact reason why Vajpayee killed his sister is unclear.
  • Ongoing divorce case: Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Amol Murkut told reporters outside ICICI Bank that the couple had some marital problems. Additionally, it was also learnt that the Divya and Manas' divorce case proceedings were also ongoing.

Further, ADCP Amol Murkut revealed that five police teams have been formed to investigate this double murder-suicide case. CCTV footage from the Gomti Nagar bank area and Hosaria will also be examined as part of the probe. All the bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination, said police.

Disclaimer: Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist.

Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918, Roshni Foundation (Secundrabad) Contact Nos: 040-66202001, 040-66202000; ONE LIFE: Contact No: 78930 78930, SEVA: Contact No: 09441778290

  • Asmita Ravi Shankar
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Asmita Ravi Shankar

    Asmita Ravi Shankar is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi. She covers breaking news and focuses on crime, geopolitics, and the domestic political landscape. She has an eye for the intricacies in criminal investigations and a keen interest in how diplomacy and complexities affect politics, within India and globally. She has written extensively about Operation Sindoor, the Iran-US conflict, elections in India, Trump tariffs and diplomacy. Asmita also engages in multimedia storytelling, using interactive elements to enhance readers' news experience and build a high-traffic news ecosystem. With nearly three years of experience in the journalism industry, Asmita has been with HT for a little over a year. She has previously worked with online news teams at Outlook India and Network18, covering a wide range of beats and building her specialisation. In HT, she has been recognised for her comprehensive reportage and her contribution to coverage of the Bihar assembly election results, having single-handedly driven over 2 million users on that day. Asmita earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, the University of Delhi. She went on to earn a postgraduate diploma in integrated journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, sharpening her skills in multimedia storytelling, editing and sourcing to enrich her reportage. Additionally, Asmita holds a degree in Bharatanatyam from the Pracheen Kala Kendra. She is also a teacher of the Indian classical dance form. When not working on news, Asmita can be found dancing, binge-watching true crime docu-series, cooking and exploring various genres of music.Read More

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