Five members of a family, including three children aged eight, four and one whose bodies were stuffed in sacks and kept in a bed box, were found killed in their home, police said on Friday. Two persons were arrested for the sensational murders that shocked this Uttar Pradesh town.
Several suspects have also been taken into custody for the killing that came to light on Thursday night. The bodies of the parents were wrapped in bedsheets. And all five had deep head injuries and slash marks on their necks.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vipin Tada said, "Based on a complaint filed by the relatives of the deceased woman, a case has been registered against three named accused and some unidentified persons. Two named suspects and several others have been taken into custody for questioning."
Police said the bodies of the husband and wife were found wrapped in bedsheets, while those of their three children were stuffed in the storage compartment of a bed at the family's home in the densely populated Suhail Garden neighbourhood in the Lisari Gate police station area.
Tada added that one named suspect is absconding, and police teams have been deployed to arrest him. "All pieces of evidence are being gathered, and the case will be solved soon," he said.
The deceased were identified as Moin alias Moinuddin (52), his wife Asma (45), and their daughters Afsah (8), Aziza (4), and Adeeba (1).
The bodies of the children were found stuffed in sacks and hidden in the bed's storage, the police said, adding all the victims had deep head injuries and slash marks on their necks.
According to the Lisari Gate police, Asma's brother, Shamim, lodged a formal complaint late at night. He accused Asma's younger sister-in-law, Nazrana, and her two brothers of involvement in the suspected murders.
The SSP, who visited the crime scene Thursday night along with other senior officers, said the family's house was locked from outside when locals and neighbours checked it in the evening.
"After gaining access through the roof, they found the bodies," Tada told reporters. "The manner in which the house was locked suggests that the individual involved in the crime may have been someone known to the family."
The SSP said the preliminary investigations point towards an old enmity as the possible motive behind the incident. "A detailed investigation is underway," he added.
The SSP further said the legs of one of the deceased were found tied with a bedsheet, adding a forensic team and senior officers are collecting evidence.
The family had recently moved to the area and the police are investigating their background to find out more details.
Moin, who is a mechanic by profession, and Asma had been missing since Wednesday, Tada said.
According to police, Moin's brother Salim was the first to witness the horrifying scene when he went to check on the family concerned over his brother's whereabouts.
Salim arrived at Moin's house with his wife. After several unsuccessful attempts to open the door, they forced entry with the help of neighbours