Mehrauli murder case | Decided to kill family as wife and I were unwell: accused

Gave them sedative-laced milk before slitting their throats

June 23, 2019 01:04 am | Updated December 03, 2021 08:31 am IST - New Delhi

Upendra Shukla with his wife.

Upendra Shukla with his wife.

During investigation into the deaths in Mehrauli, investigators said the accused allegedly killed the family as he and his wife were ill.

Upendra Kumar Shukla allegedly killed his wife Archana, daughter Ranya and sons Raunak and a month-old child on Saturday at their residence in south Delhi’s Mehrauli, the police said.

A senior officer said he allegedly told the investigators that his wife, who was diabetic, fell ill more frequently after childbirth.

 

“He said his Archana could not do household chores and take proper care of children because of her ill health. He was diagnosed with a blood pressure problem for the past three months. He thought that both of them are ill and there is no one to take care of his family and hence decided to kill his family members, including himself,” the officer said.

Another investigator said there was tension between the couple “because the wife used to remain irritated and lose her calm often after childbirth”.

The police said Upendra bought the knife, used in commission of crime, sedatives and milk on Friday night. “He mixed the sedatives in the milk and fed it to the victims,” the officer said.

Upendra mother-in-law Lalita Devi, who has been residing in the house for the past three months, said, on Friday night, the couple’s infant son was with her. However, Upendra came and took the child for feeding him milk, she said.

In the CCTV footage from the camera installed outside the building, Upendra can be seen leaving at 8.30 p.m. on Friday and returning half-an-hour later. He was carrying a bag, the police said.

When questioned about Upendra’s behaviour, neighbours said he appeared to be educated and mostly communicated in English.

“He never lost his cool. In fact, he had come to buy a few things from me at 5 p.m. on Friday and seemed fine. The couple never fought in public and they seemed like a happy family,” said Deepak Agarwal, who runs a grocery shop on the ground floor of the building.

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