Man kills wife, daughters after dispute over family visit on Rakshabandhan

Police said that the accused, identified as Pardeep Kashyap, confessed to the three murders, citing ongoing marital disputes as the reason for his rampage.

A 29-year-old man allegedly strangled his wife and two young daughters in their sleep at their home in northeast Delhi’s Karawal Nagar after a fight over the wife’s wish to go meet her family on Rakshabandhan, police said on Saturday.

The housein Karawal Nagar where the man killed his wife and two daughters. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

The accused, identified as Pardeep Kashyap, was arrested at around 12 PM-2 PM and booked for triple murder. Police said the victims — his wife, 28-year-old Jayshree Kashyap, and daughters Ishika, 7, and Antu, 5 — were found dead in their bedroom on Saturday morning.

According to police, Pardeep had frequent fights with Jayshree and often hit her.

Investigators said the couple argued late on Friday night after she expressed a desire to visit her family in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, for Rakshabandhan. Pardeep refused and, in a fit of rage, allegedly strangled her and then killed their daughters.

Police received a call from neighbours, who found the victim’s bodies inside the house with the door ajar, around 7.15 AM, reporting “triple deaths” in Karawal Nagar, said deputy commissioner of police (Northeast) Ashish Mishra.

“Upon reaching the spot, the police team found a woman and her two daughters lying dead in their room. A case was registered, and teams were sent to look for the husband. It was found that he was missing. Teams were rushed to look for him at the earliest. They gathered evidence and collected clues through CCTV footage, technical surveillance, and sources. The accused was caught in the Mukund Vihar area while he was escaping,” Mishra said.

Police said Pardeep confessed to the three murders, citing ongoing marital disputes as the reason for his rampage. Officers are awaiting autopsy reports to confirm the cause of death and sequence of events.

The wife’s family alleged Pardeep was a habitual drinker, abusive, and addicted to gambling, according to an investigator familiar with the probe.

“We are verifying all allegations,” said a police officer, adding that Pardeep’s family runs a food business.

Relatives of Jayshree staged a protest outside the Karawal Nagar police station on Saturday, demanding strict action.

Her brother, Chandrabhan, said, “I was waiting to meet my sister. Now, who will tie me Rakhi? Her husband was a monster. He would hit her, abuse the children, and even throw her out of the house. I begged her to leave him, but she always went back. He gambled away her savings. The fights became worse in the last three or four months. I wish I had forced her to stay with me.”

He added that his last conversation with Jayshree was two days earlier.

“She was crying and said she wanted to come home. Why would anyone kill their children? They did not even understand what their parents were fighting about,” he said.

Police said further investigation is underway, and statements from both families are being recorded.